New Delhi, July 15: A significant development has emerged regarding the inclusion of 77 castes, including 75 Muslim communities, in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list in West Bengal. The current BJP government in the state has withdrawn a petition from the Supreme Court that was filed by the previous Mamata Banerjee administration, challenging a decision made by the Calcutta High Court.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the West Bengal government, informed the bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud that the state cabinet had decided to retract the appeal. Following this, the Supreme Court granted permission for the withdrawal of the petition.
However, the apex court clarified that it would not prevent any other affected or aggrieved parties from filing an appeal against the Calcutta High Court’s decision.
The case pertains to the inclusion of various communities in the OBC list in West Bengal. In May 2024, the Calcutta High Court delivered a crucial ruling, annulling several OBC certificates and reservation notifications issued by the state government after 2010.
The High Court stated that many of the communities included in the OBC category for government services and positions appeared to be based primarily on religion. The court noted that the constitutional and legal standards required for declaring a community as OBC were not adequately followed, leading to the declaration of the related reservations as illegal.
The then Mamata Banerjee government had approached the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court’s ruling. Now, following a change in power, the BJP government has decided not to pursue that appeal.
With the Supreme Court’s approval to withdraw the petition, there are currently no legal challenges pending from the state government. However, the court remains open to other affected parties seeking recourse.
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