I belong to caste of the poor, says Modi; slams SP, BSP for raising questions over his caste

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday came down heavily on the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh for raising questions on his caste, asserting that he belongs to the caste of all poor countrymen.

Addressing election rallies in Sonebhadra and nearby Ghazipur, Modi also kept up his attack the Congress over its leader Sam Pitroda's hua to hua (It happened, so what?) remark on the anti-Sikh riots in 1984.

The prime minister also brought up national security, accusing a previous coalition government of weakening the intelligence agencies. He recalled the Pokhran nuclear tests 21 years ago this day.

"They have destroyed Uttar Pradesh and now the SP and the BJP have come together to save themselves from destruction, he said, calling the opposition alliance mahamilawati or highly adulterated.

They have started a new thing about my caste, he said, in an apparent reference to Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati's jibe that he is a farzi backward - a fake OBC leader.

I want to tell them that Modi belongs to just one caste -- whatever caste the poor belong to, I belong to that caste," he said, listing the schemes that his government has launched for them.

"The SP and the BSP have been attacking me on my caste, he said. I was born in a backward caste. I was born poor but worked relentlessly for removing poverty. To those asking for my caste certificate, my only caste is poverty."
On the backwardness of the Purvanchal region, he said, "The Congress has cheated the poor for generations, collected votes in the name of poverty and Ghazipur is a testimony of this."