The certificates issued to Other Backward Classes in Bengal since 2011 under the Trinamool Congress administration have been declared “illegal” by the Calcutta High Court. However, the court clarified that this ruling would not impact individuals currently employed or enrolled in educational institutions, or those who have submitted applications with caste certificates. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her disagreement with the court’s decision, stating that it will deprive the Tapashili community of their granted rights.
The court invalidated the reservation for various communities classified as Other Backward Classes under a new law introduced by the state government in 2012.
Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha noted that the executive orders of the state government categorizing 66 OBC classes before 2010 were not challenged in the petitions filed for this case, hence were not affected.
Mamata Banerjee criticized the court’s ruling, linking it to Prime Minister Modi’s previous statements about Muslims and Tapashilis. She emphasized that OBC reservations will persist, and if necessary, they will appeal to a higher court.
The OBC reservation quota implemented by the West Bengal government will remain in place, as confirmed by the Chief Minister.
“We meticulously drafted the Bill following a comprehensive survey, and it was approved by both the cabinet and the assembly… Despite the BJP’s attempts to obstruct it, they were unsuccessful in court,” she further added.
The Chief Minister criticized specific judges of the High Court, questioning their ability to serve as judges while openly affiliating with political parties.
Senior party leader Abhishek Banerjee accused the court’s ruling of being influenced by the BJP’s agenda to revoke reservation for the Tapashili community.
Union minister Amit Shah rebuked Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to accept the court’s decision, questioning the suitability of a Chief Minister who rejects court orders.
Furthermore, he criticized Mamata Banerjee for allegedly favoring 118 Muslim castes with OBC reservation without proper assessment, accusing her of prioritizing her vote bank over the backward classes.