TMC Slams BJP's 'Anti-Bengali Mindset' Over Raja Rammohan Roy 'British Agent' Remark; Fury Erupts in Kolkata Over School Scam as Jobless Teachers Hit Streets

Kolkata, November 18, 2025 – Political temperatures soared in West Bengal today as the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) unleashed a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), branding it as harboring an "anti-Bengali mindset" following a controversial remark by a Madhya Pradesh minister labeling social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy a "British agent." The row coincided with escalating protests in Kolkata, where thousands of jobless teachers took to the streets for the second consecutive day, demanding accountability in the ongoing school service recruitment scam that has left over 25,000 educators in limbo.

The controversy erupted over the weekend when Madhya Pradesh's BJP Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar, during a speech in Bhopal, accused 19th-century reformer Raja Rammohan Roy—widely revered as the "Father of the Indian Renaissance" for his role in abolishing sati and founding the Brahmo Samaj—of being a "British agent" who collaborated with colonial powers. Parmar's comments, made while critiquing historical figures in the context of education reforms, quickly went viral, drawing sharp rebukes from Bengal's political spectrum.

TMC leaders, seizing on the opportunity to rally regional pride ahead of local body polls, launched a blistering offensive. "This is not a slip of the tongue; it's a revelation of BJP's deep-seated Bengal-phobia and disdain for our icons," thundered TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh at a press conference in Kolkata, flanked by party workers waving placards reading "Bangla Birodhi BJP" (BJP, Enemy of Bengal). The party accused the BJP of systematically insulting Bengali luminaries, from Swami Vivekananda to Rabindranath Tagore, as part of a broader "cultural erasure" agenda.

In a swift damage-control move, Parmar issued a public apology late Monday, claiming his words were uttered "in the flow" of the speech and that he had "accidentally misinterpreted" Roy's legacy. "Raja Rammohan Roy is an eternal inspiration; I regret any hurt caused," he said in a video statement. However, the TMC dismissed the retraction as insincere, with senior leader Shashi Panja retorting, "Apologies after outrage? This is BJP's playbook—insult first, backtrack later."

The episode has united opposition voices, with the Congress and CPI(M) joining the chorus of condemnation, while BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar defended Parmar, calling the remarks "contextual historical analysis" misconstrued by "TMC's drama queens." Analysts see this as TMC's latest salvo in its "Bengal Sonar Bangla" narrative, aimed at consolidating Bengali identity against perceived "Hindi imposition" from the BJP-led center.

Parallel to the cultural clash, Kolkata's arterial roads turned into cauldrons of unrest as hundreds of sacked teachers marched on Nabanna (state secretariat), blocking traffic and clashing lightly with police barricades. The protests, now in their second day, stem from the festering West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam, where the Supreme Court in April canceled 25,753 appointments due to widespread cash-for-jobs irregularities.

Demonstrators, many clutching faded appointment letters and placards screaming "Justice for UnTainted Teachers," alleged that the fresh interview list for re-recruitment—released last week—includes "tainted" candidates who benefited from the 2016-2019 scam. "We've lost homes, savings, everything to this fraud, only to see the guilty get a second bite. Where is Mamata Banerjee's promise of nyay (justice)?" fumed Rita Das, a 42-year-old former upper primary teacher from Howrah, who joined the fray after trekking 50 km on foot.

The unrest intensified after reports of website crashes and marking errors marred the SSC's recent results announcement, fueling cries of "systemic sabotage." Over 2,000 "untainted" aspirants, rendered jobless by the court's verdict, have petitioned the Calcutta High Court for a CBI probe, while jobless educators from districts like Burdwan and Murshidabad converged on Kolkata, swelling the crowds to thousands.

TMC leaders, including Education Minister Bratya Basu, defended the process as "transparent and merit-based," blaming "BJP-orchestrated misinformation" for the agitation. Yet, the BJP capitalized on the chaos, with Suvendu Adhikari tweeting, "Mamata's education empire crumbles—scam after scam, our youth pays the price." The Supreme Court's August rejection of the state's review plea has only deepened the divide, with protests showing no signs of abating.

As dusk fell over a barricade-lined Esplanade, the twin furies—of insulted heritage and shattered dreams—painted a vivid portrait of West Bengal's simmering discontent. With the TMC's 'Bangla Birodhi' posters dotting protest routes and chants of "Roy-er Rokte Ranga" (Bengal Bleeds for Roy) mingling with "SSC Scam Bandh Karo" (Stop the SSC Scam), the day underscored how personal icons and professional aspirations fuel Bengal's political tinderbox. As one weary marcher put it, "Our history is under attack, and our future is stolen—who will fight for us now?"

Authorities have bolstered security around Nabanna, with the high court scheduled to hear urgent pleas tomorrow. In the BJP camp, calls for a statewide bandh grow louder, signaling deeper rifts ahead.