Sat Feb 15 11:19:35 UTC 2025: ## Telangana CM Sparks Row with Claim About PM Modi’s Caste

**Hyderabad, India** – Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ignited a political firestorm on Friday by claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s backward caste status is a result of a post-2001 legal change in Gujarat, not his birthright. Reddy asserted that Modi’s caste was reclassified after Modi became Gujarat’s Chief Minister in 2001.

Reddy’s comments, made during a Congress event, immediately drew sharp rebuke from the BJP. BJP spokesperson RP Singh accused Reddy of seeking publicity through controversial statements, alleging a lack of performance and a pattern of inflammatory rhetoric, citing Reddy’s previous comments about former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. K Laxman, BJP’s OBC Morcha national president, further linked Reddy’s statement to a similar past remark by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Both BJP leaders criticized Reddy for failing to fulfill his campaign promises.

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has previously clarified that the inclusion of Modi’s caste, Modh Ghanchi, in the OBC list occurred in 1994 and 1999, predating Modi’s chief ministership. The NCBC statement explicitly stated Modi held no legislative or executive position at the time of these decisions.

Reddy’s remarks come amidst controversy surrounding a Telangana caste survey. After initial results were presented, opposition parties, including the BJP and BRS, questioned the survey’s comprehensiveness, leading to the announcement of a second round. The timing of Reddy’s statement has fueled speculation that it aims to deflect attention from criticisms of the survey.

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