Mumbai: The West Bengal government has given Muslim OBC status to infiltrating Rohingyas. This could pose a threat to national security, said Chitra Wagh, the state president of the BJP Women's Wing.
She made the statement at a press conference held at the BJP state office on Wednesday. State spokesperson Shivraj Kulakarni and BJP Women's Wing vice-president Varsha Bhosale were present at the event.
Wagh also questioned whether giving reservations to Rohingyas would incite terrorism in West Bengal. She also mentioned that the National Commission for Backward Classes Chairman, Hansraj Ahir, had recently visited West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Punjab, where he found many disturbing issues. Until 2011, there were 55 castes of OBCs in West Bengal, including 53 Muslim OBCs. However, by 2023, the number of Muslim OBCs had increased to 118, while the number of Hindu OBCs had increased to 61. The West Bengal government has given OBC status to the Muslim community, including Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas. The National Commission for Backward Classes has also found that Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas are included in the OBC category. The National Commission had also consulted with state backward-class commissions on this matter.
Wagh also pointed out that the state government had not followed the necessary legal procedures while granting OBC status to Rohingyas and Bangladeshi Muslims who are living in West Bengal illegally. The Rohingya issue has been a threat to national security for some time now.
