Hyderabad: BJP floor leader A Maheshwar Reddy has questioned how Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was “qualified to speak” on the caste census, wondering whether the latter knew what was his caste or religion.
Addressing media at BJP headquarters in Nampally on Wednesday, November 6, Maheshwar Reddy questioned how Rahul Gandhi, who is the grandson of Feroze Jahangir Ghandy, will be identified as a Hindu, and how the ‘spelling mistake’ of Gandhi in his surname has been there for two generations. However, Rahul Gandhi’s great grandfather and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a Kashmiri Pundit.
Questioning what understanding did Rahul Gandhi have about India’s culture and traditions, Maheshwar Reddy wondered whether there were any castes in the former’s religion. “If he wasn’t in politics I wouldn’t have asked this question. Even in Karnataka cases were foisted against an MLA for raising this very question. Even Tagore got into trouble for questioning about this. If CM Revanth Reddy wants to file cases against me he can do so,” he said.
Maheshwar Reddy also accused chief minister A Revanth Reddy for using delaying tactics on BC reservations in the local body elections by bringing forward the caste census, while ignoring the 21 poll assurances made to the BCs for coming to power in Telangana.
Conduct nationwide caste survey to know that: Konda Surekha
Sharply responding to Maheshwar Reddy’s comments, forests, environment and endowments minister Konda Surekha questioned what business did BJP have in finding out Rahul Gandhi’s caste. “If they want to know his caste they can go to his residence where they will get the answer. If they want to know it, they can conduct caste survey across the country,” she quipped.
