Won’t accept BJP’s order, OBC reservation will continue in Bengal, says Mamata

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, said that she “will not accept the Calcutta High Court order” after it nullified the OBC status of numerous classes in the state.

Denouncing the judgment as a conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP, she asserted that it was the BJP’s order and part of a scheme devised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had previously claimed in some of his rallies that minorities would seize the Tapashili reservation.

Banerjee was addressing two election rallies in Khardah and Panihati in support of her party candidate in Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency Sougata Roy.

“We will not accept the court order. The OBC reservation will continue in the state. The Bill concerned was passed within the framework of the Constitution. The OBC reservation quota introduced by the Bengal government will continue. We had drafted the Bill after conducting a house-to-house survey, and it was passed by the Cabinet and the state Assembly,” she said.

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday struck down the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal, finding such reservations under an Act of 2012 to vacancies in services and posts in the state illegal.

Banerjee hit out at PM Modi over his anti-OBC Stand saying: “Today, I heard a judge, who has been famous, passed an order. The PM has been talking about how minorities will snatch away the Tapashili reservation. How can this ever happen? It would lead to a Constitutional breakdown. Minorities can never touch the Tapashili or Adivasi reservation. But these mischievous people (BJP) get their work done through agencies.”

“I don’t accept today’s judgment. When 26,000 people lost their jobs because of the BJP, I had said that I would not accept it. Similarly, I am saying today as well that I do not accept the order.

We won’t accept the BJP’s order. OBC reservation will continue. Imagine their audacity. This is a tainted chapter in the country,” she further stated.

She said: “For the past few days, the PM had been talking about improbable things. Today, the plan behind those statements became clear. He had been saying that Muslims would take away the reservation for Tapashilis if they (INDIA bloc) won. The PM sowed divisions between Hindus and Muslims. The entire world would condemn such statements. This was the same thing that was done through courts today.”

She further stated: “Not everyone in the courts is bad. I respect the judiciary. But the person who has given the order saying Muslims must be removed from the OBC reservation, I don’t accept their judgment. I will not accept it. OBC Reservation will continue. I will move the higher courts if needed.”

“This wasn’t done by me. Upen Biswas had done it. Surveys had been conducted before implementing the OBC reservation. Cases were filed earlier as well but there was no outcome in this,” she also pointed out.

Further attacking the judgment, Banerjee said: “Why don’t they talk about policies in BJP-ruled states? They (BJP) are playing games ahead of elections with these things. Conspiracy 1 Sandeshkhali was exposed. BJP’s Conspiracy 2 is to trigger communal riots. Now Conspiracy 3 was the anti-OBC stand of the BJP. How can a PM ever say that minorities will snatch Tapashili reservation? He cannot. This is a constitutional guarantee. They are doing this just for vote-politics and for a single day so that they can continue their corruption for 5 years.”

“Modi Babu is playing with fire. He is trying to cancel Tapashili reservation but I will not allow him to do this. Do not blame the Muslims for this.....One retired judge is saying I am an RSS person, and another one joins the BJP. How can these people be trusted to ensure justice?” Banerjee said.

Trinamool Congress chief also said that Tapashilis and Minorities should know the real reason behind this. “The Uniform Civil Code is mentioned in BJP’s manifesto and as soon as it is implemented, Tapashili, Adivasi, and OBC Reservation will cease to exist....Modi Babu wants to take away Tapashili Reservation but I will not allow for the same,” she added.

Giving a clarion call to oust the Modi government at the Centre, Banerjee said: “If we can oust 34-years of Left Front government, we can also throw out the Modi government that triggers riots, involves agencies and maintains goons.”