Revanth Reddy questions PM Modi’s backward class status, BJP hits back
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The political discourse in Telangana has intensified over Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s caste status.
Amid discussions on a caste survey in the state, Reddy claimed that PM Modi was not born into a backward class but was reclassified as such through legal means.
Speaking at a Congress event, Reddy alleged that the Gujarat government added the Prime Minister’s caste to the backward classes list only after he became the state’s Chief Minister in 2001. He further accused PM Modi of using his caste status for political gain while having an "anti-backward class" mindset.
The BJP strongly condemned the statement, with spokesperson RP Singh arguing that Reddy was making such remarks to stay in the spotlight, as he had failed to deliver on his promises to the people of Telangana. "He does no real work and only seeks attention by making controversial statements," Singh said, recalling a past instance where Reddy allegedly made an offensive remark about Bihar.
BJP’s OBC Morcha national president, K Laxman, also dismissed the Telangana Chief Minister’s claim, drawing parallels with similar comments made earlier by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He asserted that Reddy was trying to divert public attention from his government’s shortcomings.
Following a comparable controversy last year, the National Commission for Backward Classes had clarified that the Modh Ghanchi caste was included in Gujarat’s OBC list in 1994 and later added to the central OBC list in 1999 - both before PM Modi held any legislative or executive position.
Meanwhile, the Telangana government’s caste survey has sparked further debate.
Opposition parties, including the BJP and BRS, have questioned its accuracy and comprehensiveness. Some Congress leaders have also raised concerns about discrepancies in the data. In response, the state government announced a second phase of the survey, set to run until February 28, to include the 3.1% of the population that was left out of the initial round.