Congress raising Narendra Modi's caste issue to divert attention: BJP

NEW DELHI: BJP today accused Congress of indulging in "low-level" politics by raising the issue of caste of Narendra Modi only to divert the attention of people from core issues of governance and development.

The opposition party also asked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi whether the leaders raising Modi's caste issue were indulging in "neech karam" (lowly deeds) as stated by him that there is no "neech jaati" (low caste) but only lowly deeds.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said Modi's Modh- Ghanchi caste was included in OBC category on July 25, 1994 during Congress rule in Gujarat when Chhabildas Mehta was Chief Minister and Shaktisinh Gohil was a minister in his cabinet.

He said that on April 4, 2000, the government of India included the caste in OBC category as one of the 146 castes when Modi was not even a Chief Minister, minister or even an MP.

"It shows the tendency of the Congress leader to indulge in low-level politics. The issue of Narendra Modi's caste raised by Congress is not based on facts...Such low-level politics is being played in despair, despondency and aggression to divert the attention of people from the core issues," he said.

Trivedi said Congress had first raised the issue of Modi's personal life, then "bogies" of communalism and now they have touched his caste.

"We want to question Rahul Gandhi if the Congress leaders, who are raising Modi's caste issue, are indulging in 'neech karam' (lowly deeds) as he had himself said there is no 'neech jaati' but people only do 'neech karam'," Trivedi said.

He also accused Congress of getting the caste issue raised from its allies as it was BSP leader Mayawati who had first raised the issue and now Congress leaders are following suit.

Gohil had yesterday claimed Modi was a "fake" OBC in a bid to exploit the OBC votes, saying he belongs to rich and prosperous Modh Ghanchis who were never given any kind of reservation nor were included in OBCs before Modi became CM.