Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah's claim about the party giving first prime minister from the Other Backward Class in Narendra Modi, was on Saturday sharply contradicted by both the Janata Dal-United and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Prominent OBC leaders Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad, contradicted Shah and reminded him about former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda hailing from the same community.
Kumar took a potshot at BJP for "falsely claiming" Modi to be the first OBC prime minister of the country.
Citing BJP's victory in Bihar legislative council poll, Shah had on Friday said that the Janata Parivar proved to be a damp squib and claimed his party had given the "first prime minister" and "maximum chief ministers from the community."
Responding to questions from media persons on Shah's claim, Kumar too cited name of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda to contradict BJP President Amit Shah's statement.
RJD President Lalu Prasad was harsher on the BJP chief.
"It's a white lie. H D Deve Gowda was the first PM from OBC community whom I had helped to reach to chair of Prime Ministership," Prasad told reporters.
"Shah appears to be a disturbed, perturbed man who under stress is making confusing claims. He is trying to falsify history," the RJD chief alleged, taking jibe at the saffron party head.
Lalu Prasad said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Modh Ghanchi' caste was included in the OBC list in 2000 on recommendations of the then Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel which was accepted by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the NDA rule.
The RJD president said the BJP started lumbering OBC community only after 1990, when Mandal movement had gripped the country.
Prasad and Kumar were the prominent faces of the Mandal movement that resulted in reservation for the OBC (Other Backward Classes) in government jobs granted by the then government of Prime Minister V P Singh.
JD-U General Secretary K C Tyagi also attacked Shah for claiming so.
Besides, he hit out at the party for its alleged attempt to sell Modi as a "caste leader" in view of the coming Bihar election.
JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi also attacked Shah for claiming so.
Besides, he hit out at the party for its alleged attempt to sell Narendra Modi as a "caste leader" in view of the coming Bihar elections.
"Amit Shah is wrong in claiming that BJP gave the first OBC Prime Minister. Chaudhary Charan Singh and H D Deve Gowda hailing from OBC have occupied the post earlier," JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi said.
Tyagi made a scathing attack at the BJP for trying to saell the PM as a caste leader.
"In Gujarat he was known as 'hindu hriday samrat'. During parliamentary election he sought vote in the name of development. In Delhi polls, Modi was presented as a 'vikas purush' (development messiah) but in Bihar he is portrayed as an OBC leader," the JD-U general secretary said.
"We wish to know from BJP what his (PM) real identity is," he said, taking a jibe at saffron party.
