Narendra Modi's caste notified as OBC before he became CM: BJP counters Rahul Gandhi
PM Modi's caste Modh Ghanchi was included in OBC before Modi became Gujarat chief minister, the BJP claimed.
Modh Ghanchi caste was notified as OBC in 1999 two years before Narendra Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat for the first time, the BJP on Thursday said showing the gazette notification after Rahul Gandhi in Odisha claimed that PM Modi was born in general caste but changed his caste to OBC after becoming the CM of Gujarat.
"This is a blatant lie. PM Narendra Modi's caste was notified as an OBC on Oct 27, 1999, a full 2 years BEFORE he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat...The entire Nehru-Gandhi family, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rahul Gandhi, have been against OBCs," BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya wrote on X.
Rahul Gandhi's attack came in connection with Congress's demand for a caste census while PM Modi in his statement in the Rajya Sabha said Congress has always been anti-Dalits. Citing a letter written by Jawaharlal Nehru to chief ministers, PM Modi said Nehru was against reservation for tribals, and Dalits in government jobs.
"Modi ji has been misleading the people by saying that he is an OBC. He was born in a family of the ‘Ghanchi’ caste, which was included in the OBC list during the BJP government's tenure in Gujarat in 2000. He changed his caste to OBC after becoming the CM of Gujarat. Modi ji is not an OBC by birth," Rahul Gandhi said.
This is not the first time that Congress raised this issue. The same caste issue surfaced in 2014 before he became the prime minister for the first time. In narendramodi.in, it was stated in 2014 that the ‘Modh Ghanchi’ caste and this particular sub-caste stands included in the Gujarat Government list (25-B) of 146 castes of Socially Educationally Backward Class and Other Backward Class (OBC) list. "Earlier after a survey in Gujarat, the Mandal Commission had prepared a list of OBCs under index 91(A), which included the Modh-Ghanchi caste in it. The Indian Government’s list 105 OBC castes for Gujarat has also included ‘Modh-Ghanchi’ caste in it. The notification to include this sub-caste into the OBC list was released by the Gujarat Government on 25th July 1994. It should be remembered that at that time there was a Congress Government in power headed by Shri Chhabildas Mehta. The same sub-caste was included as OBC as per a GoI notification dated 4th April 2000. When both these notifications were released Shri Narendra Modi was nowhere in power nor was he holding any executive office at that time," it said.
Rahul Gandhi frustrated: Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi
Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi who brought a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for which Rahul Gandhi lost his Lok Sabha membership for a few months said Rahul Gandhi is frustrated and earlier he insulted the OBC community and called them 'chor'. "On July 25, 1994, during Congress rule, the Gujarat government issued the circular. It is a lie that the 'Teli' community was included in the OBC category in 2000... They were included in the OBC category in 1994 during the Congress rule... When PM Modi was the CM of Gujarat, he had nothing to do with including the 'Teli' community in OBC..." Purnesh Modi said.
