New Delhi, April 27: Under fire from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who has called Narendra Modi a "fake OBC", the Prime Minister launched a retaliatory attack while addressing a BJP rally in Kannauj. Modi said he belongs not only to the backward caste, but to the "extremely backward caste".
Referring to the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh as "mahamilaawat (grand adulteration)", Modi said the coalition has been spreading rumours about his caste to claim political benefits. Narendra Modi Claims 'First-Ever Pro Incumbency Wave': Is the PM Factually Right Or is It Mere Hype?
Notably, Mayawati, along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, has called the PM Modi as a "forward caste" leader who "unethically" included his caste in the list of OBCs when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
In a sharp retort, the PM said his caste is is so low that they barely their homes are found in villages. "I am not a backward, but an extreme backward. You are bringing this out of my mouth. When my country is backward, then what is forward? My mission is to make the entire country forward," he added.
Here's What PM Modi Said at Kannauj Rally
PM: Meri jaati to itni choti hai, gaon mein ek-adh ghar bhi nahi hota hai. Mai to pichda nahi, ati-pichde mein paida hua hu, aap mere munh se bulwa rahi ho isliye bol raha hu. Jab mera desh pichda (backward) hai to agda(forward) kya hota hai. Mujhe to pure desh ko agda banana hai pic.twitter.com/YRjfhonIW2
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 27, 2019
Apart from Mayawati and Akhilesh, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had also targeted the Prime Minister over his caste.
The Yadav scion said the parties being led by his father Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav are among the true representatives of the backward castes. "The BJP does not represents the backwards and Dalits. They are the oppressors," he said.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2019 01:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).