Congress and BJP clash over caste amid Telangana’s budget setback

Congress and BJP are engaging in a caste dispute over PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi, diverting attention from their failure to secure key projects and funds for Telangana in the Union budget

Hyderabad: After failing to secure funds and get projects approved for the State in the Union Budget, the Congress and BJP are indulging in verbal duels over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s caste.

Both parties have successfully managed to divert the people’s attention from their failures in securing substantial allocations for the State in the budget. The Congress and BJP won eight MP seats each from the State, but still failed to prevail upon the Centre.

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Before the budget presentation, the Telangana government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, submitted a few representations like the allocation of funds for the Metro project, Warangal airport, national status for the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation scheme, funds for Regional Ring Road, etc. The Centre failed to support these projects.

Conveniently sidelining the Centre’s lack of support, both the Congress and BJP have been locking horns over the Prime Minister’s caste.

The Chief Minister on Friday triggered a controversy by stating that the Prime Minister was not a born BC member but was legally a converted BC member.

This evoked a sharp response from the BJP leaders, including Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay.

Countering the Chief Minister’s remarks, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay sought to know Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s caste.

In reply, TPCC working president T Jagga Reddy on Sunday said Rahul Gandhi was a Brahmin.

Pitching into the verbal duel, BJP Telangana spokesperson NV Subhash on Monday questioned the legitimacy of Jagga Reddy’s claim that Rahul Gandhi was a Brahmin.

He pointed out that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was Feroze Gandhi’s son, and Rahul Gandhi’s mother, Sonia Gandhi, was an Italian-born Christian. “How will Rahul Gandhi become a Brahmin?” he asked.

Amidst the war of words over the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi’s caste, the BRS has been criticizing Congress and BJP for failing to safeguard Telangana’s interests.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has been charging that eight Congress MPs and eight BJP MPs had secured a big zero for Telangana in the Union Budget.