Hyderabad: Caste Survey Controversy Intensifies
In the ongoing debate over the caste survey in Telangana, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has made headlines by stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not originally from a backward class but belongs to a "legally converted backward class." He alleged that the caste classification of PM Modi was changed by the Gujarat government after Modi became chief minister in 2001.
The BJP has criticized Reddy’s remarks, suggesting that the Telangana chief minister is merely seeking attention due to his lack of tangible achievements and failure to deliver on his promises to the people.
Addressing a Congress gathering, Reddy expressed in Telugu, “PM Modi claims to belong to a backward class, but he is not from that background by birth. He legally converted his status. Before he became chief minister in 2001, he was categorized as a forward caste. After taking office, he changed his caste classification to backward through legislation.”
Reddy further asserted that Modi’s claim to be in a backward class is undermined by an anti-backward mindset, despite holding a caste certificate supporting his classification.
Responding to Reddy, BJP spokesperson RP Singh accused him of making provocative statements to maintain relevance, saying, “He does not focus on real work and resorts to controversy to grab headlines. Previously, he insulted the people of Bihar by claiming that former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao had ‘Bihari genes’. Mr. Reddy needs to check his facts before speaking.”
K Laxman, president of the BJP’s OBC Morcha, added that Reddy’s statements are not only false but are part of a trend among Congress leaders to comment on the Prime Minister’s caste. Laxman remarked, “Mr. Reddy is trying to appease his party leaders amid rising dissatisfaction among the people of Telangana due to unfulfilled promises.”
Clarification from the Panel
The controversy isn’t new. Last year, after Rahul Gandhi made the same accusation, the National Commission for Backward Classes clarified that the inclusion of the Modh Ghanchi caste in Gujarat’s OBC list began long before Modi held any official position. They pointed out that the decision to include this caste was made in 1994, and subsequent notifications occurred in 1997 and 1999, when Modi was not in any legislative or executive role.
Further Developments on Caste Survey
The situation has escalated following the Telangana government’s presentation of partial results from the caste survey in the Assembly. Opposition parties, including the BJP and KCR’s BRS, have argued that the survey data is incomplete. Several voices within Congress have also raised concerns about the accuracy of the figures.
In response, the Telangana government has announced that a second round of the caste survey will take place from Sunday to February 28, aiming to include the 3.1% of the state’s population that did not participate in the initial round.
