In a major blow to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee during Lok Sabha elections, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday cancelled over 5 lakh Other Backward Classes certificates as it struck down several classes of OBC under an Act of 2012 for reservation of vacancies in services and posts in the state, finding them illegal.
However, Mamata Banerjee asserted that she will not accept the Calcutta High Court order, as the bill concerned was passed within the framework of the Constitution. She asserted the OBC reservation quota introduced by the West Bengal government will continue.
“We had drafted the Bill after conducting a house-to-house survey, and it was passed by the cabinet and the assembly. The BJP has conspired to stall it by using central agencies. How can the saffron party show such audacity?” she asked.
The High Court earlier in the day struck down the OBC status of several classes in the state, finding such reservations under an Act of 2012 to vacancies in services and posts in the state illegal. It cancelled all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued after 2010 by the West Bengal government. However, people who got jobs or in the process of getting it will not have any impact on this order.
The list of backward classes is to be prepared according to the new Act of 1993. The list will be prepared by the West Bengal Backward Classes Commission. Those who were in the OBC list before 2010 will remain.
However, after 2010, OBC nominations have been cancelled. After 2010, those who have jobs under the OBC quota or are in the process of getting them cannot be excluded from the quota. There will be no impact on their jobs, the court said.
“They got an order passed today but I don’t accept it. When 26,000 people lost their jobs because of the BJP, I had said that I would not accept it. Similarly, I am telling today, I do not accept the order today. We won’t accept BJP’s order. OBC reservation will continue. Imagine their audacity,” Mamata Banerjee said.
She recalled that this (OBC reservation) was passed in the Cabinet, and Assembly, and there is a court verdict on the same. She alleged that they are doing games ahead of elections with these things Conspiracy 1: Sandeshkhali was exposed. Conspiracy 2: Communal riots. Conspiracy 3: Can PM ever say that minorities will seize Tapashili reservation? He cannot. This is a constitutional guarantee. They are doing this just for vote politics, she added.