HYDERABAD: In response to BJP leaders raising questions over the caste of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, TPCC chief and MLC B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Saturday urged the saffron party to conduct a nationwide caste census if it was preoccupied with the former Congress president’s social class.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Mahesh slammed BJP leaders for repeatedly questioning Rahul Gandhi’s caste while asserting that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s statement about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s caste was factually correct. He pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clarified that Modi’s caste group was included in the BC list in 1994.
“There is nothing wrong in Revanth Reddy’s statement that Narendra Modi is a ‘converted BC’,” the TPCC chief said, alleging that Modi has done nothing for backward classes during his 10-year tenure as prime minister.
The MLC also took aim at Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, stating, “Sanjay seems disturbed by the chief minister’s remarks. But the fact is, Bandi Sanjay is an OBC by birth, whereas Modi is not.”
Further, Mahesh demanded that the Centre amend the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to enhance reservations for backward classes. He also called on the BJP-led Union government to conduct a caste census along with the general census, if the party is truly concerned about BC welfare.