BJP's Purnesh Modi condemns Rahul Gandhi's remarks on PM Modi, says he is 'frustrated'

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], February 8 (ANI): After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not born into the Other Backward Community (OBC) and belonged to the general category, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Purnesh Modi condemned the remarks and said that he is saying so because he is 'frustrated'.
"I strongly condemn and protest against the remarks of Rahul Gandhi. The country is now united with Prime Minister Narendra Modiji's efforts through the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas, and Sabka Vishwas'," Modi said while speaking to ANI.
"The Congress is in the habit of spreading lies and engaging in vote-banke and appeasement politics. Rahul Gandhi is frustrated. The Prime Minister has increased the sense of pride in every citizen on a global level. He does politics, keeping aside caste and religion," he added.
The BJP leader further added that the Teli community (to which PM Modi belongs) was included in the OBC category in 1994 during the Congress rule in Gujarat.
"On July 25, 1994, during Congress rule, the Gujarat government issued a circular. It is a lie that the 'Teli' community was included in the OBC category in 2000... They were included in the OBC category in 1994 during the Congress rule. When PM Modi was the CM of Gujarat, he had nothing to do with including the 'Teli' community in OBC," Purnesh Modi said.
The BJP leader's remarks followed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remark earlier today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not belong to the Other Backward Caste (OBC) community as he was born in a general category.
"Whenever BJP workers come to you, tell them one thing that our Prime Minister lied to the entire country that he belonged to the backward class. He was not born in a backward class, he belongs to the general caste. You tell this to every BJP worker," Rahul Gandhi said at a public rally in Jharsuguda during the Odisha leg of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
PM Modi recently in Parliament called himself 'sabse bada OBC' (the biggest OBC) and accused the Congress of indulging in hypocrisy and adopting double standards while dealing with leaders of backward communities.
Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks in the Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister on Wednesday countered Congress's repeated attacks on the Centre over reservation by quoting a letter written by Jawaharlal Nehru to states wherein the late former PM criticised the idea of quota in government jobs.
"I am reading out its translation - "I dislike any kind of reservation, more particularly in services. I am strongly against anything that leads to inefficiency and second-rate standards..," That is why I say that they are against it (reservation) by birth...Had the government recruited at that time and promoted them from time to time, they would have been here today," PM Modi said.
"This is a letter written by Nehru to state Chief Ministers. It shows that Congress has always been against reservation. Nehru ji used to say that if SC/ST/OBC get quotas in jobs, then the standard of government work will fall," the prime minister had said in the Upper House of Parliament. (ANI)