‘Not Backward Class By Birth’: Revanth Reddy On PM Modi’s OBC Status, BJP Hits Back

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy drew heavy criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not belong to backward classes by birth. The caste PM Modi belongs to, Revanth Reddy claimed, was added to the backward classes by the Gujarat government after the BJP leader became the state's chief minister in 2001. The remarks come amid a row over the caste survey in Telangana.

At a Congress event on Friday, CM Reddy said in Telugu, "PM Modi claims to be from a backward class, but he is not from a backward class by birth. He is a legally converted backward class. I am choosing my words carefully. Till he became chief minister in 2001, he was among the forward castes. After he became chief minister, he shifted his caste's category from forward to backward by enacting a legislation."

"He says he is in the chair as a backward class. He may hold a caste certificate as a backward class but his mindset is anti-backward class," the Telangana chief minister added.

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Slamming Revanth Reddy, the BJP said the Telangana chief minister wanted to make headlines by making such comments because he does not do any work and had failed to fulfil the promises he had made to the people of Telangana.

BJP Spokesperson RP Singh said CM Reddy was resorting to making such statements to remain relevant.

"He (Mr Reddy) does not do any work and wants to ensure he makes headlines by making such controversial statements. He had earlier said (former chief minister) K Chandrashekar Rao had 'Bihari genes', thereby insulting all of Bihar. He should talk only after finding out all the facts," Singh said.

K Laxman, the BJP's OBC (Other Backward Classes) Morcha national president, said Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had made a similar statement in the past.

"Mr Reddy's comment on PM Modi's caste is absolutely false. Rahul Gandhi had also made a similar remark and fallen in the eyes of the people. Why do people from the Congress keep commenting on the PM's caste? Revanth Reddy made the comment to keep his leaders happy. Mr Reddy could not fulfil the promises and guarantees that he made to the people of Telangana, who are angry, and is making such statements to distract from the real issues," he said.

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Telangana Caste Survey Row

After the Telangana government tabled some details from a caste survey in the Assembly on February 4, opposition parties, including the BJP and K Chandrashekar Rao's BRS claimed that it was not comprehensive. Some leaders from within the Congress also said that there were some issues with the numbers.

The Telangana government then announced that a second round of the survey will be conducted to cover 3.1 per cent of the state's population, which did not participate in the first round, from Sunday to February 28.