Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Friday stirred up a storm, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not belong to the backward classes by birth and that he was a “legally converted BC (Backward Class)”. His remark drew a retort from the BJP, which said Reddy’s remarks were unbecoming of a person holding the state’s top post.
Addressing a ruling Congress event in Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy claimed that PM Modi was an upper caste by birth and that he is “anti-BC by mentality”.
“I want to tell you one thing. PM Modi said he belongs to BC. PM Modi is not BC. He is legally converted BC. In 2001, before becoming the Chief Minister, his caste was among the upper classes in Gujarat. After becoming the Chief Minister, he merged that caste into BC. PM Modi was not born as BC. He was in the upper caste by birth. His certificate must be that of BC, but his mentality is anti-BC,” he said.
Revanth Reddy’s response elicited strong responses from the BJP, with Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy challenging the Chief Minister for a public debate on whether the PM belongs to BCs or not.
“Revanth Reddy is making such comments out of impatience as Congress is losing public support in the state and across the country, he said,” said Kishan Reddy, who is also the Telangana BJP chief.
Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar also slammed Revanth Reddy, asking him whether he knows the caste and religion of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
“He talking about the PM’s caste is yet another desperate tactic to divert attention from the Congress party’s promise to provide 42 per cent reservation to the BCs,” Kumar alleged.
“Now, what caste is Rahul Gandhi? What’s his religion? Does he know, or do you? His grandfather was Feroze Jehangir Gandhi. In Hindu tradition, caste follows the father’s lineage. If anyone wants to debate who is legally converted or not, maybe the Chief Minister should start from 10, Janpath,” the Union Minister tweeted.
“Revanth Reddy’s research failed so badly that he forgot the fact that PM Modi was listed as OBC when the Congress was in power in 1994,” he said.
BJP MP Etela Rajender also criticised Reventh Reddy, asserting that those who made remarks against PM Modi had met their electoral fates and the same would happen to the Telangana Chief Minister.
“Revanth Reddy is saying that PM Modi is not a BC (Backward Class). But PM Modi transcends caste barriers. He is the pride of India on the global stage. Even the American President offers him a chair with great respect,” he said.
“Back then, even KCR (K Chandrasekhar Rao) lost his composure and insulted PM Modi. But now, when he goes to Delhi, he calls Modi ‘our elder brother’ and seeks the Centre’s support. However, when he returns to Telangana, he speaks arrogantly,” he alleged.
He accused Revanth Reddy of being “incapable” of resolving intra-party issues and said criticising PM Modi meant “spitting at the sun”.
“PM Modi has no personal agenda. The people of this nation are his family. Those who have criticised him in the past have faced consequences, and the same will happen to you,” he said.
“Opposing PM Modi means opposing righteousness and the people. You may receive applause for a moment, but you will soon understand the repercussions, just as KCR did. I advise Revanth Reddy to learn to respect elders,” he added.
Last month, Revanth Reddy sparked a row when he compared PM Modi with medieval-era Turkish invader Mahmud of Ghazni at a rally organised by the Congress in Madhya Pradesh’s Mhow. His remarks drew widespread condemnation from the BJP, with a host of leaders and ministers calling them “shameful”.
(with inputs from PTI)