TMC sees ‘judicial bias’ in HC order in OBC case

Kolkata: Following the Calcutta High Court’s interim stay on the preparation of a fresh OBC list in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of aiding the Opposition through his judicial orders.

The stay was issued on Tuesday by a Division Bench comprising Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Tapabrata Chakraborty. It halted the state government’s move to include additional communities in the OBC category through a new notification.

Reacting to the development, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that several of Justice Mantha’s orders have served as “political fodder” for the BJP and other Opposition parties. “We have complete faith in the judiciary, but some judges regularly pass orders that appear to favour the

Opposition,” Ghosh said.

Referring to broader concerns, he remarked: “We saw a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court being nominated to the Rajya Sabha after retirement. In Bengal, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay resigned and joined the BJP. These developments erode public faith in the judiciary.”

Ghosh further questioned the perception of impartiality in Justice Mantha’s rulings.

“This interim stay order is also linked to Justice Mantha. While the state is exploring all legal options in the OBC and SSC matters, the Opposition is weaponising court orders to derail the government’s welfare initiatives,” he claimed.