Sushil Modi fact-checks Mayawati for claiming PM added his own ‘caste to OBC category’ when Gujarat CM
While there were angry reactions from BJP leaders, Deputy Bihar CM Sushil Kumar Modi said: “@narendramodi belongs to Modh Ghanchi caste which was included in OBC category when Shaktisingh Gohil was Minister in cabinet of Chabildas Mehta Cong CM on July 25,1994.”
BSP supremo Mayawati on Saturday alleged that Modi was born into an "upper caste" but for 'political gains' he got the backward class tag for his entire caste during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati said, "In order to derive political profits during elections, he (Modi) got his upper caste included in the list of backward castes. Like (SP patriarch) Mulayam Singh Yadav and (SP chief) Akhilesh Yadav, Modi was not born in a backward caste." "Today, at Kannauj, he (Modi) said Behenji and Akhilesh think of him as a lowly (neech) person as he hails from a backward caste. Their (BJP's) Dalit-backward card is not working anymore," she added.
Terming Modi's allegation as "mischievous", the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said she never considered the prime minister a lowly person and always treated him with all due respect as a member of an upper caste.
"Then, how does the issue of calling him 'neech' arise? This makes me feel that he considers the upper-caste society as lowly," she said.
While there were angry reactions from BJP leaders, Deputy Bihar CM Sushil Kumar Modi said: “@narendramodi belongs to Modh Ghanchi caste which was included in OBC category when Shaktisingh Gohil was Minister in cabinet of Chabildas Mehta Cong CM on July 25,1994.”
Earlier, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday slammed Opposition leaders for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's caste, saying the PM was never indulged in caste politics and has done only politics of development.
"How is the Prime Minister's caste relevant? He has never done caste politics. He has only done developmental politics. He is inspired by nationalism," Jaitley said in a tweet.
Jaitley said that Opposition leaders indulged in caste politics would never succeed.
He tweeted: "Those who are deceiving the poor in the name of caste will not succeed. They have only amassed wealth in the name of caste politics. The Prime Minister's assets are not even 0.01 per cent when compared to the first family of the BSP or the RJD."
Responding to her remarks, Modi had said at a rally: "I request you (leaders of SP-BSP-RLD alliance) with folded hands, don't drag me into caste politics. The 130 crore people of this country are my family."
"I had never spoken about my caste. Till the time the Opposition leaders hurled abuses on me, the country didn't know my caste. But I am thankful to Behenji (Mayawati), Akhilesh, Congress and the 'Mahamilawati', that they are openly talking about my backwardness," he had said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said her party never made personal remarks against the PM and was fighting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls on the issue of development.
Speaking to reporters in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, the Congress general secretary said she doesn't know Modi's caste.
"Till today, I don't know as to which caste prime minister belongs to. The opposition has never talked on these lines. The Congress is only raising the issue of development in this election, which are directly related to the people," she said.
"As I had said, we have raised the issue of employment, farmers and security of women. We have been talking on these problems. We have never indulged in making personal remarks at him," she added.