Telangana BJP MLA A Maheshwar Reddy on Wednesday said the Congress government is trying to cheat backward classes in the name of caste survey.
The MLA also sparked a row by questioning Rahul Gandhi’s caste and religion.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud took strong exception to the comments made by a BJP MLA about Gandhi, asking Maheshwar Reddy if he did not know about Gandhi’s caste when he was serving in Congress .
Speaking to reporters, BJP parliamentary leader Maheshwar Reddy said, “One should first understand Gandhi’s caste and religion. He talks about caste census.”
He also asked Rahul Gandhi about his knowledge of the country’s culture and traditions.
“Who is Rahul Gandhi’s grandfather? Feroze Jehangir Gandhi. (He is) the grandson of Feroze Jehangir. In Hindu tradition, the father inherits the caste of the grandfather and the son inherits the father’s caste,” the BJP MP said.
“According to me, Feroze Jahangir’s son should be Rajiv Jahangir and Rajiv Jahangir’s son should be Rahul Jahangir. He needs to state his caste and religion Faith,” he said.
Recalling the case filed by Karnataka police against BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal over the same issue, Maheshwar Reddy said Claiming that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy may also file a case against him for his remarks and that he is not afraid of cases.
Asserting that the BJP is not opposed to the caste survey, Maheshwar Reddy asked the ruling Congress party to fulfill its promises to backward classes in the BC Manifesto announced before the assembly elections.
The BJP leader said the assurances made in the BC Manifesto include increasing the BC quota in local bodies from the existing 23% to 42%, reservation of 42% in government civil contracts and spending Rs 20,000 crore on People’s welfare.
Maheshwar Reddy also said that the 4% quota for minorities in Telangana (British Columbia) will be abolished after the BJP comes to power.
State Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud lashed out at Maheshwar Reddy, saying the state BJP leader should include the OBC census in the national population next year Under census.
Referring to Maheshwar Reddy’s past as Congress leader, Goud said that Gandhi’s caste and India’s caste were one and the same.
The PCC chief said Gandhi was considered a leader irrespective of caste, religion and regional affiliation.
The Telangana government’s comprehensive socio-economic, employment, political and caste survey, an election promise of Rahul Gandhi, began on Wednesday.
