 "Congress sticks to its stand that Modi is 'fake' OBC")
Congress today stuck to its stand that Narendra Modi is a "fake" OBC, rejecting Gujarat government's claim that a two-decade old notification had brought his Modh-Ghanchi caste in the OBC category.
"Whatever Congress spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil said yesterday is absolutely correct because the notification was issued by the Gujarat Government on January 1, 2002 when Modi was the Chief Minister," party General Secretary Ajay Maken told reporters to a volley of questions.
He said what was "surprising" is that the notification of the Centre on the OBC category to the Modh Ghanchi community came just six months before Modi became Chief Minister "so that when he is made CM, it could be shown that he is an OBC Chief Minister."
"The Gujarat government is talking about report of a Commission that was presented in the state in 1994. In 1999, Gujarat government went to the Centre in connection with the report when BJP was in power in the state and NDA was at the Centre and in 2000, the Central government came out with a notification that the Modh Ghanchi caste should be added in the OBC list," he said.
Besides, he said after the first list of OBCs came out in April 1978, the Commission was set up to look into the issue of inclusion of some additional castes in the OBC category.
His remark came when asked about Gujarat government's claim that the Congress government led by Chabildas Mehta in which Gohil was also a minister had passed the notification.
"Whatever Congress spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil said yesterday is absolutely correct because the notification was issued by the Gujarat Government on January 1, 2002 when Modi was the Chief Minister," party General Secretary Ajay Maken told reporters to a volley of questions.
He said what was "surprising" is that the notification of the Centre on the OBC category to the Modh Ghanchi community came just six months before Modi became Chief Minister "so that when he is made CM, it could be shown that he is an OBC Chief Minister."
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He controverted a report of the Gujarat Government that said its Social Welfare department had passed a notification on July 25, 1994 which included 36 castes as OBCs and at number 25 (B) Modh-Ghanchi caste has been mentioned.
"The Gujarat government is talking about report of a Commission that was presented in the state in 1994. In 1999, Gujarat government went to the Centre in connection with the report when BJP was in power in the state and NDA was at the Centre and in 2000, the Central government came out with a notification that the Modh Ghanchi caste should be added in the OBC list," he said.
Besides, he said after the first list of OBCs came out in April 1978, the Commission was set up to look into the issue of inclusion of some additional castes in the OBC category.
His remark came when asked about Gujarat government's claim that the Congress government led by Chabildas Mehta in which Gohil was also a minister had passed the notification.