Kolkata, 21 August (H.S.). A fresh political row has erupted in West Bengal over the issue of OBC reservations. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her and the Trinamool Congress of using OBC certificates as a political tool.

In a social media post, Adhikari alleged that several Trinamool leaders, in collusion with the administration, secured OBC certificates through fraudulent means to contest and win elections from reserved seats illegally. Citing a specific example, he named Khukurani Mandal Ghorai, head of Ishwarpore Gram Panchayat under Chandipur block in East Midnapore, claiming she obtained her post as both member and pradhan using a fake OBC certificate, and now stands to lose both positions.

Calling this case just the “tip of the iceberg,” Adhikari claimed that if an impartial probe is conducted, thousands of such cases would surface across the state where individuals have usurped reserved positions through fake certificates — all under Mamata Banerjee’s tacit approval.

Adhikari further alleged that the Banerjee government deliberately distributed OBC certificates to members of the Muslim community in order to pursue appeasement and vote-bank politics. This, he said, has directly harmed genuine OBC candidates who are being deprived of their rightful opportunities in government jobs and higher education.

He reminded that the Calcutta High Court had struck down the state government’s controversial OBC list, yet the government chose to drag the matter legally instead of complying with the order. As a result, the higher secondary examination results, declared three months ago, have still not been followed by the commencement of college admissions.

He added that the state has also failed to declare the results of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), leaving the future of more than 500,000 students hanging in uncertainty. Many students, he pointed out, are being forced to seek admission outside the state or pay hefty fees at private colleges.

Adhikari accused Mamata Banerjee of destroying the education system in West Bengal through appeasement and vote-bank driven politics. He concluded that the Chief Minister has subverted the original intent of OBC reservations, misusing it solely for political gains.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh