BJP Attacks Rahul over 'Blatant Lie', Points Out Modi's Caste Got OBC Status from Gujarat Govt in 1994

The caste group to which Narendra Modi belongs had got the Other Backward Class status from the Gujarat government in 1994, within two years of OBC reservations coming into effect in India. In 1999, the Centre also approved this.

The BJP is citing this to rubbish Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s assertion that Modi was not an OBC for the first 50 years of his life, and it was the BJP government in Gujarat in the year 2000 that gave Modi’s caste the OBC status. Gandhi has called Modi a “kagazi OBC”.

However, OBC status first came into effect in India in 1992 after the Supreme Court in the Indira Sawhney judgement that year upheld the government order issued in 1990 that caste was an acceptable indicator of backwardness. Hence, it was not possible for any caste to be included in the OBC category before the year 1992.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan hit back in a post on social media site X, saying either Gandhi is really ignorant or he feels telling lies repeatedly makes them accepted as truth.

In a post on the site, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said that PM Narendra Modi’s caste was notified as an OBC on October 27, 1999, two years before he became the chief minister of Gujarat.

Rajya Sabha member Narhari Amin too tore into the Congress leader.

BJP leader Surath Biswal, who belongs to the OBC community, said Gandhi’s statement showed his immaturity. “Modi belongs to the OBC. Congress has to answer why the Gandhi family put the recommendations of Kaka Kalelkar and Mandal Commission [for OBC reservation] in cold storage,” he said.

Taking to social media site X, author and academician Ananda Ranganathan too said this was a “blatant lie” as Modi’s caste was notified as an OBC on October 27, 1999, and he became Gujarat’s chief minister only on October 7, 2001.

BJP sources said Gandhi had launched the unfounded attack a day after PM Modi “exposed” the Congress, citing a letter written by then PM Jawaharlal Nehru to chief ministers saying he was against reservations and was of the opinion that it should never be given in jobs as it would compromise the concept of merit. Modi had said this showed Congress was always against the concept of reservations, which may not have happened under the party’s reign if not for the efforts of Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, while addressing people at the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Odisha claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not born in an Other Backward Class family, and he was misleading people by identifying himself as an OBC.

Gandhi, while making a brief speech on the third and concluding day of his Yatra in Odisha, said Modi was born in a family that belonged to the general category.

Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister does not shake hands with OBCs, but hugs billionaires.

He also alleged that the PM will never conduct a caste census in the country, without which social justice cannot be achieved. “A majority of people are denied social justice. Only the Congress party will conduct this caste census and ensure social justice in India,” Gandhi said.

His remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week called himself “sabse bada OBC” in Parliament. He also accused the Congress of hypocrisy and employing double standards in its treatment of leaders from Backward communities.

Replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Modi said, “The Congress party and UPA government did not deliver justice to OBCs. A few days ago, Karpoori Thakur ji was conferred with Bharat Ratna. In 1970, when he became Bihar CM, what was not done to destabilise his government? The Congress can’t tolerate OBCs…They keep counting how many OBCs are there in the government. Can’t you (Congress) see the biggest OBC here (pointing towards himself)?”

The PM hit out at the previous UPA governments for not delivering justice to OBCs. “During the UPA government, an extra-constitutional body was formed. The government could not have its way before that body. National Advisory Council — did it have any OBC members? Find out,” he said.