Kolkata: The West Bengal Assembly passed two amendment bills to alter Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation laws and remove various Muslim communities from OBC lists as directed by the Calcutta High Court in May 2024.
Monday’s amendments also led to a revision of reservation quota for OBCs from 10% to 7% and reorganisation of OBC categories.
A 1993 law applicable to the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes was also amended.
Days after coming to power in Bengal for the first time, the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government scrapped the OBC status, which had been awarded to 77 Muslim communities during the 15-year Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime, and reduced reservation quota for all OBCs to 7%.
The notification was issued on May 18, citing the order of the division bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha passed on May 22, 2024.
The laws were amended only on Monday after Backward Classes Development minister Gourishankar Ghosh introduced the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Legislative Assembly.
While 186 MLAs voted in favour of the Bills, 17 voted against them.
“As directed by the high court, all communities included in the OBC list without any survey by the former (Trinamool Congress) government — solely to offer undue advantage to Muslims — have been removed. Only 66 communities added after surveys have been retained,” Ghosh told the Assembly.
“The West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes will conduct surveys on the actual status of OBCs. The previous government completely bypassed the Commission. The Bills will also ensure that fake OBC certificates are not issued any more. This was rampant during the previous regime,” Ghosh added.
Public Safety Bill passed allowing up to 12 months’ Preventive detention
Also on Monday, a bill to curb anti-social activities was tabled. It has a contentious and stringent provision of preventive detention for up to 12 months without trial.
CM Adhikari told the House that the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, is aimed at preventing riots and other forms of violence.
Adhikari explained that existing laws do not have the provision to recover the cost for property destruction from those involved in violence, directly or otherwise.
“The bill is targeted at goondas (goons) and won’t be misused in any manner, including for political purposes,” Adhikari assured the legislators.
The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, was tabled by Minister of State for Home Bishal Lama amid protests by Opposition MLAs.
It was passed with the support of 176 MLAs, while 41 voted against it. 20 legislators abstained from voting.
The BJP won the recent Assembly polls with a thumping majority — 208 seats out of 294.
