OBCs call the PM’s bluff, ask him to explain what he did for the community

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wrongly claims to be India’s first Prime Minister to belong to the Other Backward Classes ( OBC), is losing few opportunities to highlight his caste while campaigning. It is because of his ‘Backward Class’ origin, he complained again while campaigning in Gujarat, that political rivals have targeted him and have accused him of corruption.

Prime Minister Modi had played the OBC card during the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh in 2017 as well. But judging by the reaction to his statements this time, it would seem he has cried wolf once too often. Diminishing returns may have set in on his pet peeve.

OBC commentators have aggressively responded to his claims and asked what he has done for the OBC community during the last five years.

Why is it that the Modi Government has still not released the details of India’s first caste census, which began under the UPA but concluded under the watch of the Modi Government, they wonder. The Government has spent a whopping ₹5000 Crore to conduct the caste census, which was completed in 2016. But the data and the details have not yet been released. Why?

Officially, the Government constituted an expert group to look through the data under the chairmanship of Niti Ayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagaria, who has since then resigned and returned to the US to resume his teaching.

But the Expert group did not meet even once because the Government did not name the other members. Similarly, another committee was constituted by the Government under the chairmanship of the Retired Delhi High Court Chief Justice G. Rohini to look into the claims of the ‘Most Backward Classes’. While this committee was expected to submit its report in 12 weeks, 18 months later there is still no sign of any report.

Irate analysts belonging to the OBC ask the PM to come clean on the following questions:

• If the PM really belongs to the OBC, then why are all his advisors, confidantes and officials working for him people from ‘forward’castes?
• How many Vice Chancellors of central universities have been appointed from people eligible from the OBCs?
• Why did his Government twist the Constitutional provisions to ensure reservation for the ‘poor among the forward castes’?
• Why did the Modi Government change the procedure for promotions in universities to implement the 13 point Roster to deprive people from the OBCs from their due?
• Why has the Modi Government diluted the OBC Commission and attempted to divide the OBCs ?
• How many OBC MPs have been entrusted with key ministries by this Government?
• Recently the UPSC has approved lateral entry of nine people from the corporate sector into the Government at the Joint Secretary’s level. Is even one of them from OBC?

Challenging the Prime Minister to dispute the fact that very few people, if at all, from the Other Backward Classes have been appointed by this Government to key posts, corporations, banks, think tanks, Academies etc., their message to the PM is clear.
The PM may hail from the OBC but the OBCs feel let down by his Government.