Sun Feb 16 02:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Telangana Chief Minister Sparks Controversy with Remarks on Prime Minister Modi’s Caste

**Hyderabad, February 16, 2025** – Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ignited a political firestorm today with comments questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s caste background and accusing him of lacking commitment to Backward Classes (BCs). Reddy’s remarks, made after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, triggered a sharp response from Union Minister Kishan Reddy.

Reddy claimed that Modi’s caste was not inherently BC, implying a lack of genuine concern for the BC community. He also demanded that KTR clarify the circumstances surrounding past by-elections and the affiliations of winning candidates. He further advocated for a comprehensive caste census, highlighting Telangana’s role model status in SC categorization. Reddy stated that he would utilize the data from the state’s caste census to implement future welfare measures.

Kishan Reddy countered Reddy’s assertions, questioning why the Congress party, during its long tenure in power, failed to include caste enumeration in national censuses or elevate a BC individual to the Chief Minister’s position. He also criticized Reddy’s comments about Modi’s caste as inappropriate and unfounded. Reddy further challenged Revanth Reddy’s claims by highlighting the inclusion of Modi’s caste in the BC category during the Congress’s rule in Gujarat in 1994. He questioned whether Reddy considered all BCs who benefited from post-1970 Anantharaman Commission recommendations as “converted” BCs.

The exchange underscores escalating tensions between the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the opposition Congress party in Telangana, with the debate on caste and representation taking center stage. The controversy is likely to further polarize the political landscape in the state ahead of future elections. Other news includes reports of a brutal crime in Sangareddy district involving the rape of a tribal woman and an attack on her husband, as well as the release of the trailer for a Telugu superhero film, “Trikaal,” starring Shraddha Das. A list of budget-friendly, safe cars was also highlighted.

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