'Entire Nehru-Gandhi Family Against OBCs': BJP Tears Into Rahul Over Caste Jibe On PM Modi

Several reactions followed Rahul Gandhi's statement that PM Modi was born into the Teli caste rather than an OBC community. Here's how the BJP responded.

Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks on PM Modi, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya on Thursday shared an official document on X, refuting Gandhi's claim that the Prime Minister's caste was notified as an OBC after he became Chief Minister. He presented evidence that Modi's caste was officially designated as OBC on October 27, 1999, two years before he assumed the role of CM of Gujarat. 

Posting the same official document, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of India Pralhad Joshi said, "Truth prevails, Lies crumble!!"

BJP MLA Purnesh Modi also joined the debate and said that the comments made by the Wayanad MP were "misleading". The BJP MP said that the grand old party makes such statements to engage "in vote bank and appeasement politics".

The BJP MP further expressed frustration over what he perceived as "an insult to the OBC community" by referring to them as 'Chor' (thieves). Purnesh Modi disputed the timeline of including the 'Teli' community in the OBC category, claiming it happened in 1994 during the Congress rule, not in 2000 as suggested by Gandhi. He further emphasised that PM Modi, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, had "no involvement" in this decision.

"We condemn Rahul Gandhi's statement. Congress is accustomed to using vote bank and appeasement politics. Rahul Gandhi is frustrated. He insulted the OBC community by calling them 'Chor'. The Gujarat government issued a circular on July 25, 1994, while the Congress was in power. It is false that the 'Teli' community was included in the OBC category in 2000. They were added to the OBC category in 1994, during the Congress administration. When PM Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had nothing to do with including the 'Teli' community in OBC," he told news agency ANI. 

Taking a safe stance, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "All I want to say is that some people are only backward by certificate, not by birth".

Condemning the statements made by Gandhi, Gujarat BJP's OBC Morcha President said, "The people of OBC will not tolerate any attempt to insult them. He attempted to provoke and insult the OBC people, which is highly condemnable". 

Continuing his criticism of PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi said that the Prime Minister did not belong to the OBC community by birth but was originally born into the Teli caste. He alleged that PM Modi was misleading the public about his caste background.

Addressing the public during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Odisha, Rahul Gandhi stated, "PM Modi was not born in the OBC category. He was born Teli caste in Gujarat, which was included in the OBC list during the BJP government's tenure in Gujarat in 2000. Therefore, Modi ji is not an OBC by birth." Gandhi also claimed that the Prime Minister avoids shaking hands with OBCs and instead "hugs billionaires". 

The Congress leader continued to promote his party's ideology during his yatra, highlighting the slogan "Nafrat ke bazaar me mohabbat ki dukan" (shop of love in the market of hatred). Rahul Gandhi asserted that while some propagate markets of hatred and violence, the Congress advocates for love and non-violence.

Explaining the rationale behind the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi cited instances of injustice faced by various sections of society.