Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has sparked controversy by claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not belong to a backward class by birth but was part of a “legally converted backward class.” The BJP strongly condemned his remarks, accusing him of attempting to divert attention from governance failures in Telangana.
Speaking at a Congress event on Friday, Mr. Reddy alleged that PM Modi’s caste was included in the backward class category only after he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001. “PM Modi claims to be from a backward class, but he is not by birth. His caste was shifted from forward to backward category after he became the CM,” Mr. Reddy said in Telugu, adding that the Prime Minister’s policies do not favor backward communities.
Here is the video of his speech:
BJP was quick to respond, with party spokesperson RP Singh slamming Mr. Reddy for making “baseless” allegations. “He does not focus on governance and instead resorts to making controversial statements to stay relevant. He previously insulted people from Bihar by saying former CM K Chandrashekar Rao had ‘Bihari genes.’ He should check facts before speaking,” Mr. Singh said.
Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, also criticized Reddy for his remarks and accused him of attempting to divert attention from key political issues. He questioned whether Mr. Reddy was aware of the caste and religion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “He is talking about the PM’s caste as a desperate tactic to divert attention from Congress’ promise of 42% reservation to BCs. Instead of addressing real concerns, the Congress is trying to manipulate caste sentiments for political gain,” Mr. Kumar said.
K Laxman, national president of BJP’s OBC Morcha, also criticized the Congress leader, recalling a similar statement made by Rahul Gandhi in the past. “Rahul Gandhi had earlier made the same claim and faced public backlash. Why does Congress repeatedly question the PM’s caste? Revanth Reddy is making these statements to please his party leadership while failing to deliver on his promises to Telangana’s people,” he said.
NCBC Clarification
The National Commission for Backward Classes had previously clarified that the Modh Ghanchi caste was added to the Gujarat State List of OBCs in 1994, much before Modi became Chief Minister. The commission also noted that the inclusion in the Central List of OBCs was advised in 1997 and officially notified in 1999, at a time when Modi held no legislative or executive position.
Amid the escalating political war of words, Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy challenged the Chief Minister to a public debate on the issue. “Revanth Reddy’s remarks reflect his frustration as the Congress is losing public support. If he has the courage, he should face a debate,” he said. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar also hit out at Mr. Reddy, questioning whether he could clarify the caste and religion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
With Telangana set for a caste survey, the row over Modi’s OBC status has added to the political tensions between the ruling Congress and the BJP, setting the stage for a heated political battle in the state.
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