Calcutta HC's Order Cancels OBC Certificates Of 77 Communities, 75 Of Them Are Muslims, Were Added To List By Left And TMC

As the Calcutta High Court has canceled all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010, the judgment would adversely affect the Muslim community.

This is because of the 77 caste groups, whose OBC certificate stands canceled now after the Wednesday (22 May) verdict, 75 groups were Muslims, as per Hindustan Times.

The Left Front government included 42 groups in the OBC list in 2010, of which 41 groups were Muslims. After the Trinamool Congress (TMC) came to power in 2011, 35 more groups were added to the OBC list.

Of the 35 groups that the Mamata Banerjee-led government added in the OBC list in 2012, 34 were Muslims. This is why she has criticised the court order.

West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee termed it a "BJP order" and refused to accept it. "OBC reservation will continue. Imagine their audacity. This is a kalankit (black) chapter in the country", she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also commented on the matter and termed the high court’s verdict a ‘slap to the Khan Market gang’ while addressing a poll rally in Delhi's Dwaraka.

"The court in its verdict canceled all the OBC certificates issued after 2010. This was done because the West Bengal government inexplicably gave OBC certificates to Muslims, only for the Muslim vote bank," he said.

Even the division bench of justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha noted, "This court’s mind is not free from doubt that the said community has been treated as a commodity for political ends."

West Bengal has 17 per cent OBC quota divided in two categories. OBC A has 10 per cent quota and it caters to 81 communities, of which 56 are Muslims.

The other 7 per cent comes under OBC B quota that caters to 99 communities, of which 41 are Muslims.

The judgment can affect the voting in the remaining two phases of the Lok Sabha elections as the 17 seats due for voting have a major portion of Muslim demography.