West Bengal govt resorting to 'appeasement politics' in granting OBC status: NCBC chief Hansraj Ahir

After 2011, 79 new communities were added to the OBC list, of which 65 were Muslim, he said.He said 90 per cent communities listed as extremely backward classes Category A in the OBC list were Muslim and entitled to greater benefits.

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) on Saturday claimed that the West Bengal government has been resorting to ''appeasement politics'' in granting OBC status to communities in the state and demanded the ''discrepancy'' is fixed at the earliest.

In an interaction with the media here, NCBC chairperson Hansraj Ahir said that of the 179 OBC groups in West Bengal, 118 belonged to the Muslim community, including some who had sought refuge from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Reservations must be for the deserving and not based on appeasement politics, Ahir said, adding he was not against Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation for any community.

He said that before 2011, there were 108 OBC communities in West Bengal, of which 53 were Muslim and 55 Hindu. After 2011, 79 new communities were added to the OBC list, of which 65 were Muslim, he said.

He said 90 per cent communities listed as extremely backward classes (Category A in the OBC list) were Muslim and entitled to greater benefits. In Category B, which has relatively fewer benefits, 53 Hindu communities were listed as OBCs and 45 communities were Muslim. ''There is a tilt towards Muslim OBCs. The matter has been reviewed and the discrepancy has been conveyed to the state government,'' Ahir said.