The West Bengal government has withdrawn its petition from the Supreme Court. This petition was filed against the decision of the Calcutta High Court to include 77 castes in the OBC list. The High Court had declared this classification illegal and unconstitutional.
Case of removal of 77 castes from OBC list
New Delhi [भारत]July 14 (ANI): The West Bengal government on Tuesday withdrew its appeal from the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court’s decision that had struck down the state’s policy of including 77 communities, including 75 Muslim communities, in the OBC list. A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Jaimalya Bagchi and V Mohana allowed withdrawal of the appeal after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, said that the state cabinet has decided to withdraw the appeal.
Recently, the West Bengal Assembly had passed two bills amending the laws made by the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government governing Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation in the state.
What was the decision of the High Court?
Earlier, the Mamata Banerjee-led government had moved the top court challenging the High Court’s May 22, 2024 order, which had quashed several state orders to include 77 castes in the OBC category during 2010-12.
The High Court had struck down the inclusion of 77 castes in the OBC list, saying the classification was “illegal and unconstitutional”. The Court had remarked that it appeared that the only criterion for this classification was religion, and termed the move as an attempt to use a community as a vote bank for electoral gains. (ANI)
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