While Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy today met Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and invited him for a rally following the successful completion of the caste census, BJP leaders lashed out at him. This came after the CM dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “legally converted BC (backward classes)” displaying the mindset of the privileged class. The Congress and BJP leaders indulged in a slugfest over the castes of Modi and Gandhi.

Union Minister of Coal G Kishan Reddy, who is also the BJP state president, said “Revanth Reddy does not know anything. Rahul Gandhi also does not know anything. Revanth Reddy only repeats whatever Rahul Gandhi says. He dances to Rahul Gandhi’s tune and spends time trying to rack up points. Every week he goes to Delhi to give his attendance. He spends little time in governing Telangana.”

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The CM who was in Delhi today, however, denied that he spoke about the Prime Minister in a derogatory manner, maintaining he had just stated facts. He accused the Opposition of deliberately creating controversy over the caste census and claimed he was not interested in doing politics over caste but keen on ensuring public welfare.

BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Dr K Laxman, who is also the president of the party’s OBC Morcha, alleged that the Congress harbours deep-rooted hatred for the Other Backward Classes (OBC).

He fact-checked the Chief Minister saying that when the Ghanchi community was categorized as OBCs, Modi was neither the CM nor occupied any executive post.

There was a Congress government in Gujarat in 1993 when the community was included in the OBC list. The Central Government included it before 2000, much before he became the Prime Minister.

“The Congress is spreading misinformation,” accused Laxman.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, challenged Reddy to reveal the caste and religion of Rahul Gandhi, questioning his ancestry. Bandi Sanjay has already criticised the caste census in Telangana saying the Centre will never accept Muslims being included in the OBC list.

The census included 10 per cent of Muslims in the total BC population in the state. However, the Congress hit back as PCC chief Mahesh Goud slammed the BJP leaders saying, “Show us a caste census across the country then Rahul Gandhi will tell us what his caste is.”