Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Calcutta High Court’s decision to reverse the OBC classification awarded to “77 classes” in West Bengal, calling it a “tight slap” to the opposition’s INDIA bloc. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her refusal to accept the ruling and intimated that she would file an appeal with the Supreme Court. She threatened the BJP with a ₹1000 crore defamation lawsuit for allegedly making false claims about her government’s achievements. In its verdict, the high court questioned the criteria for giving OBC designation simply on the basis of religion and implied political motivations behind the classification, particularly in relation to the Muslim minority.
PM Modi, speaking at a rally in Dwarka, accused the West Bengal government of engaging in excessive appeasement politics. He highlighted that simply using the term “Muslim” does not represent communalism on his behalf, but rather reveals the fact. He lauded the court’s ruling as a blow to the alleged use of OBC certificates in vote bank politics. During a campaign event in Khardah, Banerjee affirmed that the OBC reservation would remain in West Bengal, citing thorough planning and parliamentary permission. She declared her willingness to appeal the high court decision to a higher court if required.
Furthermore, Banerjee indicated her plan to pursue a large defamation suit against the BJP for allegedly misrepresenting her government’s achievements. She defended her inclusive governance style, emphasizing equal rights for all communities as guaranteed by the Constitution. Banerjee plans to bring a ₹1000 crore defamation action against the BJP for allegedly distorting facts about her administration’s accomplishments and making false accusations against her and her programs. She emphasized her pristine record of not accepting political contributions during her career and promised to transfer any awarded funds among the public.
