Didi: Move to Higher Court After Summer Vacation to Challenge OBC Cancellation

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee declared on Friday that her government would move a higher court after the summer vacation to challenge the Calcutta High Court order that recently cancelled all the Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued in the state after 2010.

Though she did not take the name of the court, political observers feel it is the Supreme Court. The Trinamul Congress supremo, who was addressing a Lok Sabha Election campaign rally at Sagar in South 24 Parganas, also asserted that the OBC reservation would meanwhile continue like other categories.

“There is no reason to feel scared. I will not allow the OBC reservation to be cancelled. It will continue as it was. Tapashili, Adivasi and general people's categories will also go on. We also have a scheme for the Economic Backward Classes which shall continue too,” she said.

The CM added, “Now summer vacation is underway. As soon as it ends, we will move to a higher court,” before alleging, “I respect courts but a few judges are only abiding by the diktat of the BJP and the CPI(M).” On May 22, a division bench of the HC ordered the cancellation of nearly five lakh OBC certificates issued by the TMC government.

Ms Banerjee further took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling himself a "son of God" during an interview to a national TV channel. She wondered at another party rally in Mathurapur of the district, “He is now calling himself the son of God. He claims that, unlike us, he doesn’t have biological parents. He says he has been sent by God.”

Ms Banerjee sarcastically asked, “I however ask, does God send someone to orchestrate riots or spread lies through advertisements or jail people in the name of NRC exercise? Has God sent his emissary to sponsor hooliganism in the name of the CAA or stop funds for 100-day work or prevent rural houses from being built? Does God go back on his promise of depositing Rs 15 lakhs in people’s bank accounts? God can not do such things.”