Amid the ongoing demand of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) parties to conduct a caste census across the country, the Janata Dal-United (JDU) has cast doubt over PM Narendra Modi's OBC status. The party alleged the PM belongs to a forward class and said he fears that the truth will be out and hence does not want to do a caste census. Addressing a press conference, JDU MLC and chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar questioned the claim made by PM Modi that he belonged to an "ati pichhda" (extremely backward classes) community.


Kumar said that PM Modi has been accused of getting his caste, ‘Modh Ghanchi’, included in the OBC list in 2002 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.


"Modi sought to deny the allegation by claiming it was done way back in 1994 when the Congress ruled Gujarat as well as the Centre," he said.


The JDU leader showed a sheet of paper claiming it was the Gazette of India of that year that mentions the castes that were included among Other Backward Classes (OBC).


"If Narendra Modi's caste is Modh Ghanchi, then he was not backward socially or educationally. Then how did Narendra Modi include himself in OBC? How is that caste included in OBC? When was the social or economic survey done? Where is the report of that survey? Narendra Modi is a 'Vote ka saudagar' and he said in Kannauj that he comes from the OBC category," he added.






"Where is the notification that says that people of his caste and community are included in OBC? He is a 'Vote ka Saudagar' which is why he does want Caste caste-based census... He comes from a forward class, this was also claimed by his ancestors... If a caste-based census takes place, then his social truth would be open about how Narendra Modi has cheated... We want to ask the BJP if our allegation is true..." Kumar further said.


Accusing the PM of missing his political power and including his caste in OBC, the JDU MLA said, "PM Modi has lied... On April 27, 2019, PM Modi said in a public rally in Kannauj that he belongs to the OBC category."


Notably, during a speech in UP's Kannauj in 2019, PM Modi said he belongs to the most backward caste, "which is so minuscule you may not even trace a single house of my caste in a village". He was reacting to BSP chief Mayawati's 'fake OBC' remark against him.


Now, addressing the media, the JDU leader said that the Ghanchi caste has six sub groups out of which only one, Ghanchi (Muslim), was there in the list of OBCs in 1994. He also challenged the BJP to repudiate his claim. He alleged that the Prime Minister Modi had got the ‘Modh Ghanchis’ included because of an obsession with electoral gains.


"There are also documents on record to show that in the early 19th century, Modh Ghanchis had been petitioning the British government that they be counted among Baniyas, and not among Ghanchis, with whom they never interdined or had matrimonial alliances,” the JD(U) leader said.


He said that the caste survey conducted by the CM-Nitish Kumar government has created a buzz across the country.


 


Gujarat Govt On Modh-Ghanchi Caste Controversy


In 2014, the Gujarat government said that the Modh-Ghanchi (oil-pressers) caste, to which Modi belongs, was included in Other Backward Castes (OBCs) categories in 1994. "The Social Welfare Department of the Gujarat Government has passed a notification on July 25, 1994  which included 36 castes as OBCs and at number 25(b) Modh-Ghanchi caste has been mentioned to which Narendra Modi belongs. The caste has been included amongst OBCs," Nitin Patel, the state government's spokesperson, said, as quoted by DNA.


The statement came after Congress hurled the 'fake OBC' jibe at PM Modi.