In West Bengal, a major reservation row broke out after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government included the Muslim community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota.
Notably, the All Indian Trinamool Congress administration not only continued but added to the appeasement policy adopted by the previous Communist Party of India (Marxist) government in the state.
The AITC regime is being slammed for introducing 77 castes, 75 of whom are Muslim, into the OBC category. In a landmark judgment on Wednesday this year, the Calcutta High Court had cancelled Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued to 77 groups by the Left and Trinamool Congress governments between 5th March 2010 and 11th May 2012.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government filed an affidavit and defended its decision in the Supreme Court. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud in its 5th August order sought details about the procedure adopted for inclusion in the OBC category.
The government claimed that the OBC list was expanded through a complex three-tier process which included two surveys and a hearing by the Commission for Backward Classes, according to the media reports.
It was unveiled that for some Muslim groups, the process was concluded in less than a day. The Khotta Muslim community applied on 13th November 2009 and they were made part of the OBC list by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes recommended on the same day.
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