Calcutta High Court Halts Final Notification Of Bengal’s Revised OBC List Until July 31

Kolkata: In yet another setback for the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday stayed the notification of the state government over the preparation of a new OBC list.

The division bench of Justice Rajshekhar Mantha and Tapabrata Chakraborty issued an interim stay on the notification till the next hearing scheduled on July 31.

The Calcutta High Court had also put a stay on the government’s decision to open a portal for submission of caste certificates for the purpose of addition of OBC in the new lists.

It can be recalled that in May last year, the High Court had cancelled all the OBC certificates that were issued after 2010. Challenging the decision of the High Court, the state government had moved the Supreme Court.

While hearing the state’s petition, the apex court had observed that reservation cannot be granted on the basis of religion, and thus questioned the state’s way of classification of the OBC classes.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari stated that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stands to ‘safeguard’ the interest of OBC.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon'ble High Court at Calcutta for the landmark decision to stay the inclusion of 76 Muslim classes in the new OBC list prepared by the Mamata Banerjee Government. This is a resounding victory of the Judiciary against an arrogant State Government that has repeatedly flouted constitutional norms for its narrow political gains. The Mamata Banerjee led TMC Government’s blatant appeasement politics, as evident from the disproportionate inclusion of almost 90% new Muslim Classes in the OBC list, has been directly affront to the principles of equality and fairness,” (Sic) said Adhikari on X.