Mamata Says ‘Backwardness Alone’ Determines OBC Status; NCBC Chief Had Flagged Muslim Over-Representation Earlier

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today (10 June) informed the Assembly that backwardness served as the sole criterion for determining OBC status of caste groups in the state.

She stated that certain groups are spreading false information on social media and emphasised that religious considerations play no role in OBC classification decisions.

As per a report by The Hindu, Ms Banerjee explained that a government-appointed commission is surveying to evaluate 50 new subsections for potential OBC inclusion.

According to the Chief Minister, 49 subsections have been placed in the OBC-A category while 91 subsections fall under OBC-B.

Ms Banerjee stated that every inclusion decision was based on comprehensive field research and relied on recommendations from the Commission.

Her remarks assume significance as around a year ago, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), had expressed concerns regarding the state's OBC classification system.

According to a report by Times of India, Ahir had mentioned that 118 out of 179 OBC groups listed by West Bengal belong to the Muslim community and that complaints have emerged regarding the inclusion of Bangladeshi immigrants and some Rohingyas in the state's OBC list.

Ahir stated that "appeasement politics is behind granting OBC status to so many Muslim castes," based on complaints received by the commission.