Jharsuguda (Odisha), 8 Feb

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not born in an Other Backward Class family, and he is “misleading” people by identifying himself as an OBC.

Gandhi, while making a brief speech here on the third and concluding day of his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Odisha, said Modi “was born in a family that belonged to the general caste”. “Modi ji has been misleading the people by saying that he is an OBC. He was born in a family of the ‘Ghanchi’ caste, which was included in the OBC list during the BJP government's tenure in Gujarat in 2000. “He changed his caste to OBC after becoming the CM of Gujarat. Therefore, Modi ji is not an OBC by birth,” the Congress MP asserted.

Gandhi had earlier in his address claimed that Modi belonged to the ‘Teli’ caste, but later clarified he meant the ‘Ghanchi’ caste. The former Congress president also alleged that the prime minister will never conduct a caste census in the country, without which social justice cannot be achieved. “A majority of people are denied social justice. Only the Congress party will conduct this caste census and ensure social justice in India,” Gandhi said.

The Congress leader said whenever he talks about social justice and a caste census, Modi mentions about the existence of only two castes in the country - rich and poor. “If there are two castes, then which one do you belong to? You are not poor; you change clothes several times during the day... and then lie about belonging to the OBC category... The PM does not shake hands with OBCs, but hugs billionaires,” Gandhi alleged.

He also claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched in the state to snatch the land of tribals. “The only difference between the BJP and BJD (Odisha’s ruling party) is of a ‘P’ and ‘D’; the rest is all same... they are two sides of the same coin,” the Congress leader said.

Clad in a white t-shirt, Gandhi resumed the yatra on Thursday from the Old Bus Stand here and moved towards Kissan Chowk in an open jeep. He was accompanied by AICC leader Ajoy Kumar and OPCC president Sarat Pattnayak. After covering about 200 km in Odisha, the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ entered neighbouring Chhattisgarh.