PANJIM: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday stated that the party will challenge the decision of the Bombay High Court at Goa quashing the OBC certificate issued to Benaulim Zilla Panchayat (ZP) Member Hanzel Fernandes before the Supreme Court.
The AAP also demanded justice for the Christian Mesta Community after the Court ruling invalidated the OBC certificate of Fernandes, a member of the Christian Mesta Community.
Speaking to reporters, AAP State president Adv Amit Palekar called upon the BJP government to contest the High Court's decision, which negates OBC status for the Christian Mesta community and address the unjust situation. He highlighted that the Vigilance Cell's comprehensive report had conclusively established that Fernandes belonged to the Mesta community, which is involved in the occupation of carpentry.
The denial of OBC status and associated rights solely based on his Christian religion is ultra-vires the Constitution and arbitrary, he said.
Adv Palekar emphasised the potential repercussions of the judgment on students and youth, who possess valid OBC certificates and belong to the Christian Mesta Community. The recent court ruling threatens to nullify their entitlements, causing undue hardship and impeding their rightful access to their rights which were rightfully granted.
Voicing his concern over some politicians who celebrated the Court's decision prematurely, Palekar urged them to read the judgment in detail before politicising the matter. He clarified that Fernandes had not submitted a fraudulent certificate as is being sought to be portrayed. The OBC certificate, being a government-issued document, falls within the jurisdiction of the government itself.
Benaulim MLA Capt Venzy Viegas pledged to support Fernandes in completing his five-year term and expressed the commitment to take the matter to the Supreme Court. He highlighted that the Commission report was notified in 2006, yet neither the Congress nor the BJP governments managed to provide justice to the Christian Mesta Community since then. He pointed out that an OBC certificate was initially granted to Fernandes by the then government in 2010. Furthermore, when Fernandes applied for a new certificate in 2020, the present government once again issued him an OBC certificate. He questioned where the fault lies in this situation.
Viegas emphasized the need to avoid politicizing the issue and instead unite in the pursuit of justice for the Christian Mesta Community. He urged everyone to focus on the broader objective rather than engaging in internal conflicts.