A day after the Calcutta High Court cancelled all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010, the Bharatiya Janata Party slammed state CM Mamata Banerjee and the I.N.D.I.A bloc saying that Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi, and other leaders of the opposition alliance are shredding the constitution.
BJP President JP Nadda launched a scathing attack on the West Bengal CM and said that the judgment given by the court shows how the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state was taking forward appeasement unconstitutionally or can be said that the Muslim agenda was being taken forward. He also asserted that there is no one above the law.
"Today Calcutta High Court has cancelled the OBC reservation given to the Muslims under the OBC quota subcategory. The Calcutta High Court has also cancelled OBC certificates issued In West Bengal to Muslims from 2010 to 2024. Both these judgements show how Mamata Banerjee's government was taking forward appeasement unconstitutionally or can be said that the Muslim agenda was being taken forward. PM Modi had raised this issue during the election campaigns- how Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of the INDI alliance are shredding the constitution" Nadda said.
It is written clearly in the Constitution that reservation will not given based on Dharma...Mamata Banerjee said that she does not agree with the decision of the High Court...There is no one above the law," he further stated.
The high court has reportedly said that the list of backward classes will be prepared according to the new Act of 1993. The court however clarified that cancellation would not impact jobs of those who have been employed under the OBC quota after 2010 or are in the process of being employed.
"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 his job," news agency ANI reported.
Speaking on Calcutta HC's decision to cancel all the certificates, BJP leader Shahzad Poonawalla said the decision has shown how Mamata Banerjee's government gave the rights that were meant for the OBC community to Muslims only for the vote bank. He further stated that one more proof of appeasing a vote bank by snatching the rights of OBC, SC, and ST people has come to light.
"About 5 lakh OBC certificates have been suspended. The High Court's decision has shown how, only for vote bank and appeasement politics, Mamata Banerjee's government gave the rights that were meant for the OBC community to Muslims on religious grounds...One more proof of appeasing a vote bank by snatching the rights of OBC, SC-ST people has come to light...When the Prime Minister even challenged them (INDIA alliance) to write in writing that reservation will not be given on religious grounds or by cutting it from OBC, SC-ST quota, they did not accept this challenge," Poonawalla said.
The high court has clarified that this judgment allowing the petitions against the provisions of the 2012 Act brought in by the TMC government, will not impact services of those citizens who belong to these struck-down classes but have already availed the benefit of quote or have succeeded in any selection process of the state of West Bengal.
This verdict cancels all OBC certificates issued by the TMC government led by CM Mamata Bannerjee. She came to power in 2010 in the state.