Telangana CM Reddy says PM Modi 'not backward by birth'; BJP slams 'irresponsible' statement

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. (File photo/PTI)

Telangana chief minister  Revanth Reddy kicked up a storm on February 14 after claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not belong to a backward class and has an "anti-BC (backward class) mentality". Reddy said PM Modi is a "legally-converted BC".

"Modi ji says he is BC. Actually, Modi ji is not BC. (He is) legally converted BC," the CM alleged.

The Congress leader further claimed that Modi added his community in the list of of the backward classes after he became CM of Gujarat.

"Though his (Modi) certificates may say he is BC, but his mentality is anti-BC," he said.

If Modi belongs to backward classes, why was the general census not conducted in 2021 and why the population of BCs was not determined, he said.

Reddy also said the ruling Congress would announce a "battle against Modi if necessary" as the Centre has not sanctioned permissions for projects like expansion of Hyderabad metro rail.

Referring to the comments of some that Revanth Reddy would be the last Reddy Chief Minister of Telangana, he said he would not mind being the "last".

Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at Reddy, calling his comments "irresponsible".

"How can he (Revanth Reddy) speak so irresponsibly? If you make a statement, it should be based on facts," said Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, who is also the president of the BJP in Telangana.

Speaking to reporters in Nalgonda, he said Modi's community was included in the BC list when the Congress was in power in Gujarat.

Pointing out that certain castes were recognised as backward classes after 1970 in undivided Andhra Pradesh, he wondered whether Reddy would also claim that "all those communities are not backward classes".

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar asked whether the CM knows the caste and religion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Reddy 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, said Kumar.

Reddy, who spoke during a PowerPoint presentation on the caste survey conducted by the Congress government in the state and a Youth Congress meeting held at Telangana Congress headquarters here, claimed that Modi's caste was a "forward caste" before he became Gujarat chief minister.

Referring to allegations that the data of caste survey was faulty, he said the Centre should take up caste census as part of general census.

He alleged that the BRS and BJP are trying to find fault with the data of caste survey for selfish purposes.

The BJP is trying to find fault with the data as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has already attacked the NDA government in parliament for not conducting caste census all over the country, would mount further pressure, he said.

The BRS, on the other hand, is trying to pick holes in the caste survey as it fears that backward classes would question its president K Chandrasekhar Rao over his family members having several posts during the BRS regime, he said.

It would be backward classes who suffer if the BC associations find fault with the data of the caste survey, he claimed.

The BCs can now seek hike in reservations, even in the Supreme Court, by presenting the data of caste survey, Reddy said.

There are no errors in the caste survey as the data is submitted by the concerned citizens, he said.

The chief minister said he took up the responsibility of caste survey as a disciplined activist to uphold the promise of his leader (Rahul Gandhi).

He said, without elaborating, that he is ready for any "sacrifice" having conducted the caste survey (which shows BCs to be the largest chunk of total population). Had he wanted to present wrong data, he asked why he would show his community to be less than five per cent, while that of BCs to be more than 50 per cent.

Talking about the state government's decision to accept data from those who were left out of the caste survey conducted during November-December last year, he said a "social boycott from Telangana society" should be imposed on BRS president KCR and his family members if they don't participate in the survey.

Attacking the NDA government at the Centre for not sanctioning funds and approvals to development projects, he said the Centre has sanctioned funds to states like Bihar and Gujarat.

"If we pay a tax of one rupee to the Centre, we get 42 paisa. If one rupee is paid, Bihar takes seven rupees, Uttar Pradesh gets three rupees. What sin has Telangana made? We are getting 42 paisa if one rupee is paid. Modi ji, you are taking 58 paisa of our fund," he said.

Stating that his government is observing restraint, he said an action plan would be taken up soon to fight against the Centre to secure its rights.

In an apparent reference to the BJP finding fault with the inclusion of Muslims in the BCs, he said Muslims are being given four per cent reservation in the state under BC category which was also endorsed by the Supreme Court.

Reddy's attack on the BRS and BJP came as the regional party had alleged that the Congress government is backstabbing the BCs with the caste survey showing a decline in the population of backward classes.

While the population of BCs was 51 per cent as per an Intensive Household Survey conducted during the BRS regime, the caste survey shows it to be 46 per cent excluding backward Muslims, BRS leader K T Rama Rao had said.