What has PM Modi done for backward castes, asks Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha

Amid a war of words between Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress over 'OBC', Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha on Friday asked PM Modi what he had done for the backward classes to strengthen them?

Manoj Jha told ANI that PM Modi and his party have been unsuccessful in strengthening the backward classes in the country.

"I want to ask, what did you (PM Modi) do for the backward classes? What did you do to strengthen them (backward classes)? That will be the basis of the evaluation. This will not be the basis for whether you are on that list or not. Where do I stand in favour of the caste census? Why don't I talk about reservations in the private sector? PM Modi and his party have been unsuccessful in all these," he said.

"I remember, when we were young, what kind of comments the BJP (then Jan Sangh) used to make about Karpuri ji and the role they (BJP) played a role in toppling his government. These are all historical documents," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, the Wayanad MP during the Odisha leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra courted controversy by saying that PM Modi was born in a general category, a remark which drew criticism from the entire Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Whenever BJP workers come to you, tell them one thing 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," he said while addressing a gathering in Odisha's Jharsuguda.

This came after Prime Minister Narendra 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.

"Congress party and UPA government did not deliver justice to OBCs. A few days ago, Karpoori Thakur ji was conferred with Bharat Ratna. In 1970, when he became Bihar CM, what was not done to destabilise his government? Congress can't tolerate OBCs...They keep counting how many OBCs are in government. Can't you (Congress) see the biggest OBC here (pointing towards himself)?" PM Modi said in his reply to the 'Motion of Thanks' on the President's Address in Lok Sabha on Monday.