The government on Thursday afternoon hit back at Rahul Gandhi after the Congress MP’s claim Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not born into an Other Backward Class community.

Mr Gandhi, in Odisha with his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, accused the Prime Minister of “misleading” people by identifying himself as an OBC member. He said Mr Modi “was born in(to) a family of the Ghanchi caste… which was included in the OBC list during the BJP government’s tenure in Gujarat”.

In a brief note titled “facts regarding Rahul Gandhi’s statement on PM’s caste”, the government said the Modh Ghanchi caste (and the sub-group to which Mr Modi belongs) “stands included in the Gujarat government’s list… of socially (and) educationally backward class and OBCs”.

“…after a survey in Gujarat, the Mandal Commission prepared a list of OBCs under Index 91(A),, which included the Modh Ghanchi caste. The Indian government’s list (of) 105 OBC castes for Gujarat has also included Modh Ghanchi…” the note said.

The government has also reminded Mr Gandhi the notification to include the sub-group in the list of OBCs was issued on July 25, 1994 – when Gujarat, Mr Modi’s home state, was ruled by the Congress.

“The same sub-group was included (in) OBC (list) as per a Government of India notification dated April 4, 2000. When both notifications were released Shri Narendra Modi was not in power, and was not holding an executive office at the time,” the government has said.

Rahul Gandhi’s jab at the Prime Minister’s caste comes as the government and the opposition squabble over a national caste census. This week he vowed to hold the census and remove the Supreme Court-ordered 50 per cent cap on reservations is the Congress wins the Lok Sabha election.

READ | Caste Census, Removal Of 50% Cap On Quota: Rahul Gandhi’s Promise

Mr Gandhi on Monday attacked Mr Modi declaring, “When time comes to give rights to OBCs, Dalits, tribals, Modiji says there are no castes. But when it is time to get votes, he says he is an OBC.”

The Prime Minister responded Wednesday during a speech in the Rajya Sabha, in which he said Congress stalwart and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not support reservations.

“Nehruji used to say that if SC, ST or OBCs get reservation in jobs, then government work standards will fall. He even stopped recruitment. What Nehruji said has been pathhar ki lakeer (‘set in stone’) for the Congress since. Your mindset can be understood through such examples,” the PM lashed out.

READ | “Congress Follows Nehru Blindly, He Was Against Reservation”: PM Modi

“The party has always been against the interest of SC and ST communities.”

Actress Yami Gautam is reportedly pregnant with her first child with filmmaker husband Aditya Dhar. The actress is currently in her second trimester. After three years of marriage, the couple is ready to welcome parenthood. According to reports, the actress is currently five and a half months pregnant, and she is expected to deliver in May 2024.

The couple has chosen to keep the news confidential until this point. Speculation about Gautam’s pregnancy arose after recent public appearances where she was observed covering her stomach. The couple has not officially confirmed the news yet, but it is expected that they will announce it on social media soon.

 Meanwhile, on the work front, Yami Gautam is getting ready to promote her upcoming thriller, Article 370, which is being produced by her spouse, Aditya Dhar. The pair, who crossed paths on the filming of Uri: The Surgical Strike in 2019, tied the knot on June 4, 2021, after dating for two years.

See Also: Article 370 Teaser: Yami Gautam and Priyamani promise powerful performances. Watch: 

Two trekkers, one of them a woman, died during an outing in Himachal Pradesh’s Bir Billing. For two days, a German Shepherd dog accompanying them remained beside the bodies and kept barking till they were found on Tuesday, nearly 48 hours after they went missing.

The dead trekkers have been identified as Abhinandan Gupta (30) from Punjab’s Pathankot and Pranita Wala (26) from Pune. The two appear to have died after a fall, but authorities said the post-mortem would confirm the cause of death.

Bir Billing, located at an altitude of 5,000 feet, is a favoured destination for treks and paragliding. Kangra district police chief Veer Bahadur said Gupta had been living in the area for the past four years for paragliding and trekking activities. The woman, he said, arrived from Pune a few days back and had set out after a round of snowfall. “The preliminary probe has found that a group of four people, two of them women, set out in a car. When the car could not proceed beyond a point, they started walking. As the weather changed, two people in the group backed off and returned to safety with the help of others there. But Gupta reportedly said that he knows the route and he, Pranita and the dog went on their way,” the officer said.

The others part of the group had registered a missing complaint after Gupta and Wala did not return for a long time. Soon after, a search party was sent to look for them.

One of the members in the rescue team said they put two teams in action. The bodies were located three kilometres below the point from where paragliders take off.

“This is a steep area and turns very slippery during snowfall. It appears they slipped and fell. They managed to get up once, but slipped again,” he said. As he spoke, the German Shepherd kept barking and wailing next to the bodies. The bodies have been handed over to the families after autopsy.

Senior police officer Bahadur had a message for tourists. “The Kangra district is receiving heavy snowfall and the weather is changing swiftly. So any tourist venturing out must be accompanied by a local resident or a guide who has knowledge about this area. Tracks get covered in snow and it is not possible for tourists to figure out the route.” He said phones are of no use due to poor connectivity in the area. “Avoid going out, the weather is poor,” he added.