Overview
- The proposed bodies would cover the Munda and Kora (ST), Dom (SC), and Kumbhakar and Sadgope (OBC) communities.
- Banerjee said the boards will be constituted soon to preserve languages and traditions and to expand access to education, healthcare and jobs while safeguarding customary rights.
- The announcement comes weeks before assembly elections, with analysts saying it targets support in western districts where the TMC and BJP compete closely.
- BJP figures labeled the move a pre-poll gimmick and linked it to alleged protocol lapses during President Droupadi Murmu’s north Bengal visit, a charge the TMC denies.
- In the fallout from the row, Rashtrapati Bhavan declined an initial request by TMC MPs for a meeting, with the party seeking a new appointment next week.