West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vehemently rejected the Calcutta High Court's decision to cancel all Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued in the state after 2010, vowing to challenge the ruling in a higher court. She said, “I respect the courts. But I do not accept the judgment that says Muslims should be kept out of OBC reservation. OBC reservations will continue. We will go to a higher court.”
She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of promoting a divisive agenda by suggesting that Muslims would take away reservations from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs, and linked this narrative to the court's decision.
On Wednesday, a division bench of the High Court declared more than five lakh OBC certificates issued by the Bengal government post-2010 as “invalid.” The court's verdict, however, specified that this decision would not affect individuals currently holding jobs or educational seats based on these certificates.
The court has instructed the West Bengal Backward Classes Commission to compile a new list of OBCs following the 1993 Act which states Protection of Human Rights. OBCs listed before 2010 will retain their status, but all nominations made after 2010 are now void, impacting an estimated five lakh certificates.
Despite the court's ruling, Banerjee assured that the OBC reservation quota introduced by the West Bengal government will persist, reaffirming her commitment to uphold the reservations.
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