West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee voiced her opposition on Wednesday to the Calcutta High Court’s decision to nullify OBC certificates issued post-2010, insisting that OBC reservations will persist and she is prepared to appeal to higher courts if necessary.
Speaking at an election rally in Panihati within the Dumdum Lok Sabha constituency, Mamata declared, “Not everyone in the courts are bad. I respect the judiciary. But the person who has given this order… I don’t accept his judgment. I will not accept it. OBC reservation will continue. I will move higher courts if needed…They don’t know me. I am not someone who will bow to their whims.”
The Chief Minister emphasized that the OBC reservations were lawfully implemented and pointed out that previous challenges to the reservations had failed in court. “We implemented OBC reservation as per the law. We conducted surveys. Upen Biswas was the chairman of the committee that submitted multiple reports. Even back then, there were court cases on the matter but the appellants lost those cases,” she noted.
On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court annulled all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010 and instructed the West Bengal Backward Classes Commission to compile a new OBC list in line with the 1993 Act. Certificates issued before 2010 will remain valid, but all those issued post-2010 have been invalidated. This ruling is expected to affect approximately 500,000 OBC certificates.
The Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal are being conducted in seven phases. Five phases have already concluded, with the final two phases scheduled for May 25 and June 1. Vote counting will take place on June 4. The sixth phase of polling, set for May 25, will cover constituencies including Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur.