New Delhi/IBNS, April 3 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has labelled the Supreme Court's upholding of the Calcutta High Court order that had quashed recruitments by the School Service Commission (SSC) in West Bengal as a "crushing defeat" for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In a blow to the Mamata Banerjee government, the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Calcutta High Court order that had quashed the entire recruitment of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff by the School Service Commission (SSC) in West Bengal.

A top court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the selection process was "vitiated and tainted by fraud".

The CJI said employees whose appointments have been can...