TPCC Defends Revanth Reddy’s Remarks on PM Modi’s Caste, Hits Back at BJP

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) official spokesperson Chanagani Dayakar has condemned the BJP's criticism of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s caste, asserting that Modi’s caste was added to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list by the Centre in 2001.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Dayakar clarified that the Mandal Commission, which recognized 3,460 castes as Backward Class communities in 1981, did not originally include Mr. Modi’s caste. However, it was added to the OBC list during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He further stated that the inclusion process began in Gujarat in 1994 under then-Chief Minister Chimbanbhai Patel, and was later formalized in the central OBC list in 2001.

Accusing the BJP of misleading the public, Mr. Dayakar alleged that Modi’s caste has historically been associated with business and has no real connection to the struggles of OBC communities. He claimed that the BJP strategically portrayed Modi as a "chaiwala" to gain political advantage. "People believed their narrative and brought them to power, but they have only focused on selling the country’s assets," he remarked.

The Congress leader also pointed out that individuals with the Modi surname are traditionally engaged in business, not tea vending. “What is wrong with Revanth Reddy’s remarks on Modi’s caste? It is a valid discussion. BJP is unnecessarily politicizing the issue,” he asserted.