West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee defends the state’s fresh OBC survey in the Assembly, calling BJP’s objections political. BJP walks out after being denied a chance to respond. The controversy follows a High Court order canceling OBC certificates, now under Supreme Court review.
In a dramatic turn of events during the monsoon session of the West Bengal Assembly, BJP legislators staged a walkout following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks regarding the state’s ongoing OBC (Other Backward Classes) survey. The walkout came amid a heated exchange over the intent and execution of the state government’s fresh OBC list, prepared in accordance with a Supreme Court directive.
On the second day of the session, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee defended the survey process, asserting that the new OBC list was being updated based on economic backwardness and not religion. “There are 49 castes in the OBC-A category and 91 in the OBC-B category. Soon, 50 more castes will be added. The process is strictly based on economic data, not religious identity,” Banerjee said, accusing the opposition BJP of politicizing the issue for electoral gains.
The BJP, however, contested the Chief Minister’s claims, alleging that the survey methodology lacked transparency and was a repetition of the flawed approach previously dismissed by the Calcutta High Court. BJP legislators insisted that the Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, be given the opportunity to counter Banerjee’s statements in the Assembly. When Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay denied the request, BJP members staged a coordinated walkout in protest.
Suvendu Adhikari later addressed the media, stating that the BJP would present its legal arguments in the Supreme Court during the upcoming hearing on the matter. “The same flawed process that failed in the Calcutta High Court is being repeated. We will raise these concerns in the apex court,” he said.
To understand the background of this confrontation, one must revisit the judicial developments over the past year. In May 2023, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court — comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha — ruled to cancel all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal post-2010. This landmark judgment effectively invalidated over 5 lakh OBC certificates distributed during the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime, which came to power in 2011.
The High Court’s decision was based on procedural flaws and inconsistencies in the classification of OBCs. In response, the West Bengal government moved the Supreme Court, seeking permission to conduct a fresh, constitutionally sound survey. The Supreme Court, in March 2024, granted the state government the green light to restart the identification process for OBCs.
| Also Read: EAM Jaishankar slams Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism in Belgium |
While the Mamata Banerjee-led government initiated the fresh survey accordingly, the BJP has consistently criticized its execution. Adhikari and other BJP leaders argue that the methodology mirrors the discredited practices previously condemned by the High Court, and thus lacks legal credibility.
Tuesday’s session highlights the deep political divide in the state over social justice policies and governance practices. While the TMC defends its administrative prerogative to update OBC classifications in line with judicial directives, the BJP sees it as a veiled attempt to manipulate voter blocs ahead of upcoming elections.
As tensions continue to mount over the OBC issue, the final verdict from the Supreme Court will be pivotal—not only in determining the legality of the state’s survey but also in shaping the political narrative in West Bengal for months to come.
