HomePoliticsAppeasement in the Name of OBC? BJP’s Amit Malviya Slams Mamata Govt’s...

Appeasement in the Name of OBC? BJP’s Amit Malviya Slams Mamata Govt’s New Caste List as ‘Blatant Contempt of Court’

New Delhi: In a sharp rebuttal to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent defence of the revised Other Backward Classes (OBC) list, BJP’s IT Cell Chief and central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, has accused the state government of indulging in “religion-based appeasement” and flouting constitutional norms.

Banerjee, during the Monsoon Session of the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday, had asserted that the new OBC list being prepared by the state is “based purely on economic backwardness” and has no link to religion. “There were 49 castes in the OBC-A category, 91 in OBC-B, and 50 more will soon be included,” she said, further clarifying that the inclusion is determined “by economic status, not religious affiliation.”

However, Malviya issued a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday countering these claims, arguing that the data suggests the contrary. “Before 2010, under the Left Front regime, of the 66 OBC classes, only 11 were Muslim – that’s just 20 per cent. The rest were non-Muslim,” he stated.

“But under the 2025 proposed additions, of the 51 new classes in Part-1, 46 (90%) are Muslim. In Part-2, of 25 new entries, 21 (84%) are Muslims. If this isn’t religion-based appeasement, what is?” he questioned.

He also took aim at the recent decision of the West Bengal government to hike the OBC reservation in state services from 7% to 17% on June 3, 2025. “This was clearly done to benefit these newly included Muslim groups,” Malviya wrote on his official X handle.

Citing legal precedents, he added, “On December 9, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that reservations cannot be based on religion. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had already struck down this same list for doing just that. The new list is nothing but a blatant contempt of court and an insult to the principles of social justice.”

In a more contentious revelation, Malviya pointed to a clause in the government’s list. “In point number 17 of the OBC list, it is clearly mentioned that anyone who converts to Christianity will automatically be considered an OBC and their children too will enjoy the same benefits. So now, conversion from Hinduism is being rewarded with OBC status and lifelong reservation benefits!” he alleged.

17 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Must Read

spot_img