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In a massive show of strength, more than one lakh people of Rajput community gathered in Rajkot to demand the immediate withdrawal of candidature of Union Minister Parshottam Rupala as the BJP candidate from Rajkot.
This was second rally by the Kshatriya community in Rajkot against Mr. Rupala, whose remarks about former princely families’ relationship with the British and establishing marital relations with them have riled the descendants of the families in Gujarat.
On Sunday, the community leaders vowed to intensify the protests and hold another mammoth rally in Ahmedabad after April 19 if the nomination of Mr. Rupala wasn’t withdrawn.
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“We are firm on our demand for withdrawal of Rupala’s candidature. We have demanded from BJP that Rupala has to go and we stand firm on that demand,” said Ramjubha Jadeja, a core committee member of the Kshatriya community, addressing the meeting.
“In the past, when people made mistakes, the BJP leadership took action against such people, which includes the case of Nupur Sharma, former party spokesperson,” Mr. Jadeja said.
Another community leader Karansinh Chavda said that it was up to the BJP to decide whether it wants Mr. Rupala or Rajputs. “It’s for them to decide now. As far as we are concerned, we have decided that we will not support the BJP if Mr. Rupala stays as its candidate. And that is everywhere, in all constituencies and not just limited to Rajkot.”
Nearly 75 different groups or clans of the Rajput community have been holding protests since March 22 when the Union Minister during a Dalit community meeting had made his remarks.
A coordination committee comprising top community leaders also held two meetings with the Rajput or Kshatriya leaders of the BJP but the talks did not resolve the crisis as the demand for Mr. Rupala’s removal remains non-negotiable for the Rajputs while BJP leadership has maintained that the Union Minister had already apologised twice.
The ruling party has also announced that the Union Minister would file his nomination papers on April 16 and would hold a roadshow in Rajkot city.
“He has insulted us [women] by making disgusting comments about Rajput women. We cannot accept such insulting comments from him,” said Triptiba Vala, one of the women leaders who is involved in organising the protests.
