PM says poor, farmers, women and youth should have..: BJP leader weighs in on Bengal OBC row

Varanasi: Union Minister and BJP candidate from Chandauli Lok Sabha seat, Mahendra Nath Pandey, came out in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while taking a swipe at the Congress’ alleged poll promise of a nationwide wealth survey and redistribution, saying that the poor, farmers, women and youth should have first right on the country’s resources.

Pandey’s response came on the heels of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s defiant statement after the Calcutta High Court rendered all OBC certificates issued by her government since 2010 void.

Hours after the high court scrapped OBC (Other Backward Classes) certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010, Mamata came out in opposition to the order saying that OBC reservation will continue and that she is prepared to move to higher courts if needed.

“Our leader, Prime Minister Modi, has said the poor, farmers, women and youth should have the first rights on the country’s resources. The policies of the country must be framed accordingly and we are working towards that. They (Congress) did wrong by taking a share of the OBC quota and giving it to Muslims in Karnataka. We won’t let that happen again,” Pandey told ANI on Thursday.

On whether CM Mamata’s defiant stand in the wake of the high court order, he added, “She is not getting votes anywhere which is why she is going around making statements that make little sense. However, people across the country are not with them (Opposition) and will vote for a strong and decisive government under PM Modi. We will deliver on our promise of going over 400 seats.”

Meanwhile, Tripura OBC Morcha president Malina Debnath on Thursday came down heavily on the ruling TMC in Bengal for adding Muslims to the OBCs category to advance their ‘vote bank politics’.

Hailing the Calcutta High Court order, scrapping OBC (Other Backward Classes) certificates issued in Bengal after 2010, Debnath said the TMC government added Muslims to the OBC category without conducting a survey and issued them certificates for votes.

“They (TMC government) added Muslims to the OBC category between 2010 and 2024. They did it without conducting a proper survey and gave them certificates, entiltling them to the benefits of OBC reservation. This was done purely for the sake of votes. I welcome the high court verdict,” Debnath told ANI.