Fact-Checking Rahul Gandhi's Claim: Not BJP, But Congress Government In Gujarat Included PM Modi's Caste In OBC List

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's caste was included in the OBC list during the BJP government's tenure in Gujarat in 2000.

Gujarat's BJP MLA Purnesh Modi showed a circular released on 25 July 1994 by the Gujarat government. He said, "That time, the CM was Chhabildas Mehta, a leader of Congress."

"It is a lie that the 'Teli' community was included in the OBC category in 2000... They were included in the OBC category in 1994 during the Congress rule... Modi had nothing to do with including the 'Teli' community in OBC," the BJP MLA said.

Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi, while speaking during the concluding day of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Odisha, said PM Modi "was born in a family that belonged to the general caste" and accused him of misleading people.

"Modi ji was born in a family of the Teli caste, which was included in the OBC list during the BJP government's tenure in Gujarat in 2000. Therefore, Modi ji is not an OBC by birth," the Congress MP claimed.

The Congress leader further alleged that the prime minister does not shake hands with OBCs, but "hugs billionaires". He further said that PM Modi is not going to do a caste census.

Rahul's attack on PM Modi came a day after the Prime Minister slammed the Congress and the UPA government for doing injustice to backward communities. You can read the highlights of his speech here.