Calcutta HC decision on OBC list another blow to Mamata Banerjee's "politics of appeasement": Amit Malviya

New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): BJP leader Amit Malviya on Tuesday hailed the Calcutta High Court's decision that granted interim stay on the West Bengal Government's OBC list notification and said it is another blow to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "politics of appeasement".
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday gave an interim stay on the West Bengal government's recently issued notifications on the OBC list till July 31. A division bench comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha passed the interim order while hearing petitions challenging the state's classification of communities under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Malviya, who is in-charge of BJP's National Information & Technology Dept and BJP's co-incharge of West Bengal, attacked the ruling Trinamool Congress government and said it made a desperate attempt to appease a vote bank and "is a telling commentary on how far the TMC will go to cling to power".

Another blow to Mamata Banerjee’s politics of appeasement!

The Calcutta High Court has stayed the West Bengal Government’s recent notifications that attempted to reintroduce OBC reservations for several Muslim groups — the very same classifications that were earlier struck down… https://t.co/UY8D91NIN7

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 17, 2025

He alleged that West Bengal Government's recent notifications attempted to reintroduce OBC reservations for several Muslim groups
"Another blow to Mamata Banerjee's politics of appeasement! The Calcutta High Court has stayed the West Bengal Government's recent notifications that attempted to reintroduce OBC reservations for several Muslim groups -- the very same classifications that were earlier struck down by the Court," he said on a post on X.
"The Court's intervention came in response to writ petitions challenging this blatant overreach. The TMC government, in its brazen hurry, tried to sidestep the High Court's earlier judgment by conducting a dubious "survey" and bypassing established legal procedure. This desperate attempt to appease a vote bank -- in violation of due process and constitutional norms -- is a telling commentary on how far the TMC will go to cling to power. But the judiciary has once again stood as a bulwark against such unlawful appeasement," he added.
Malviya also referred to his tweet made earlier this month in which he had accused the TMC government of appeasement politics.
"OBC = Other Backward Classes, but in West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee, it has become nothing more than a brazen attempt to appease Muslims, in gross violation of constitutional provisions. Mamata claimed in the Assembly: 'OBC list not based on religion. FACT CHECK: Her own government's data proves otherwise. Before 2010: OBC Classes - 66 Muslim - 11 | Non-Muslim - 55 Muslim Share - 20%. New Additions (2025): Part 1: 51 new classes - 46 Muslim (90%) Part 2: 25 new classes - 21 Muslim (84%). If this isn't religion-based appeasement, what is?" he said in a post on X.
"On June 3, 2025, WB government increased OBC reservation in State Services to 17% (from 7%) -- clearly to benefit these newly included Muslim groups. But here's the catch: On Dec 9, 2024, Hon'ble Supreme Court said -- Reservation can't be based on religion. Earlier, Calcutta HC had struck down this exact list for doing just that. The new list is nothing but a blatant contempt of court and an insult to the principles of social justice," he added.
Assembly polls will be held in West Bengal next year. (ANI)