Days after the Calcutta High Court cancelled an estimated 5 lakh Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued mostly to Muslims by the West Bengal government since 2010, PM Modi has hit out at the ruling TMC government.
While speaking to news agency ANI, he informed, “When the (Calcutta) High Court’s judgment came, it became clear that such a big fraud was taking place.”
“But what is even more unfortunate is that for vote bank politics, now they are also abusing the judiciary…This situation cannot be acceptable under any circumstances,” PM Modi emphasised.
When the (Calcutta) High Court's judgment came, it became clear that such a big fraud was taking place. But what is even more unfortunate is that for vote bank politics, now they are also abusing the judiciary…This situation cannot be acceptable under any circumstances: PM Modi… pic.twitter.com/JFmQd7V9ZC
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024
It must be mentioned that Mamata Banerjee had earlier announced that she would not follow the verdict of the Calcutta High Court and continue to grant OBC reservations to groups that are now invalid.
“I don’t accept Calcutta HC’s verdict. OBC reservation will continue as it is,” the West Bengal Chief Minister was quoted as saying by the West Bengal CM.
PM Modi had previously described the Calcutta High Court verdict as an eye-opener for the country.
The Calcutta High Court verdict on Muslim OBC reservation
In a landmark judgment on Wednesday (22nd May), the Calcutta High Court cancelled Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued to 77 groups by the Left and Trinamool Congress governments between 5th March 2010 and 11th May 2012.
The development came as a shocker for the incumbent government ahead of the upcoming 6th phase of Lok Sabha elections in the State.
The West Bengal government, run by the Left and TMC, came under scanner for its “unconstitutional” categorisation of classes solely based on religion, as laid down by the Supreme Court in the landmark Indra Sawhney case of 1992 (wherein the Judiciary upheld the validity of 27% OBC reservation).
The Calcutta High Court also noted that the West Bengal government committed “fraud on the Constitutional power of the State” by enacting the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012 and excluding the role of Commission in the identification of new OBCs.
“The Commission’s reports are not in accordance with the Constitutional value of the impartial and secular reservation. Although the reports of the Commission are prepared to show that it has not made a religion-specific reservation, it appears otherwise to this Court,” the Judges noted.
The Calcutta High Court also came down heavily on the West Bengal government for treatment of Muslims as a ‘political commodity’ and exploiting them for electoral gains.
It is interesting to note that while most classes belonging to the Muslim community were included in the OBC category under the Left regime, it was the Mamata Banerjee-led-TMC government that issued the most number of OBC certificates to Mulims after coming to power in 2011.
