OBCs suffering due to Congress' 'appeasement' politics, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress government of giving OBC status to Muslims in Karnataka, depriving the deserving beneficiaries in the process, as part of its appeasement politics. He said a cabinet note prepared in 2011 by the UPA government stated that the 27% reservation for OBCs should include religion-based quota and even issued an order which was struck down by the courts.

Addressing a BJP rally in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, the prime minister alleged that Rahul Gandhi has been engaging in name-calling as the Congress leader is a dynast while he comes from a humble background. He played the victim card alleging that the Congress prince uses abusive language against him which several people have objected to on social media. "People are unhappy over this. It is my request that you should not feel sad about this. They are naamdar (dynasts) we are kaamdar (workers). They will say a lot of things. Do not get worked up. We were born to bear all this," Modi said, adding that he will continue to strive for the country despite all such attacks.

He spoke on similar lines at public meetings in Agra, Aonla and Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh.


The prime minister said the Congress is becoming desperate to come to power and hence playing all kinds of games. "They are again making minority appeasement an issue. It is a Congress government in Karnataka and you will be surprised to know the sin they are committing there.... Congress government there is changing the status of Muslims -- be they from the upper strata, rich, businessmen, industrialists, judge or whoever as long as the person is a Muslim," Modi said. He charged that if a person is a Muslim, then papers are signed overnight to declare them OBCs.

"The Congress government in Karnataka has put so many new people in the OBC list for education and government jobs that the reservation which was given to communities belonging to OBCs has been snatched. Their rights have been wrongly taken away and Muslims given OBC status," he said.

Even with the Congress distancing itself from the statement made by former Congress advisor Sam Pitroda favouring inheritance tax, Modi once again invoked the scare that the Congress wanted to impose the 55% tax on accumulated wealth passed down as inheritance. In Aonla, he also lashed out at the Samajwadi Party for allegedly favouring the Yadav family. Hours after chief Akhilesh Yadav filed his nomination from Kannauj, PM said the party did not find one Yadav candidate beyond the Yadav family to give tickets to.