BSP chief Mayawati Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi included his caste in the backward category during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister to derive electoral profit.

Addressing a press conference, Mayawati said, “Like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, Narendra Modi was not born in a backward caste. When he was Gujarat chief minister, he got his upper caste included in the backward category to derive political benefit during elections.” She said the BJP’s Dalit-backward card was not working in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP supremo’s comments came hours after Modi slammed the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, saying the tie-up of “opportunists” wants a helpless government because its mantra is “jaat, paat japna; janata ka maal apna”.

Modi addressed election rallies in Kannauj, a SP stronghold, Hardoi and Sitapur.

Dubbing the alliance as ‘mahamilavati (highly adulterated) opportunists’, Modi said in Kannauj that he doesn’t believe in politics of caste.

“Mayawatiji (BSP chief), I am most backward... I request with folded hands not to drag me into caste politics, 130 crore people are my family,” he said.

“This country didn’t know my caste till my detractors abused me... I am thankful to Mayawatiji, Akhileshji (SP chief), Congress people and the ‘mahamilavatis’ that they are discussing my caste...I believe that taking birth in a backward caste is an opportunity to serve the country,” the PM said.

First Published: Apr 27, 2019 22:23 IST