Several Kshatriya Leaders, Including Ex-Congressman, Join BJP In Gujarat Even As Rupala Row Rages

Union minister Parshottam Rupala is facing anger from Kshatriyas over his comment that maharajas succumbed to persecution by foreign rulers, and married their daughters off to them.

Congress' D.D. Rajput had left last month and has joined BJP Gujarat.

Several leaders of the Kshatriya community, including D.D. Rajput of the Congress, joined the BJP in Gujarat on Monday even as the furore triggered by Union minister Parshottam Rupala’s comments about erstwhile royalty continues. 

Rajput, a state-level functionary of the Congress, quit the party last month.

The leaders joined the party in the presence of Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, in Banaskantha, just days after protests erupted in different parts of the state over Rupala’s comments.

Last month, Rupala, who is the BJP’s nominee from Gujarat’s Rajkot constituency, said former maharajas succumbed to persecution by foreign rulers and even married their daughters off to them.

Although the BJP leader apologised for his comments, the Kshatriya community, which includes Rajputs, demanded Rupala’s withdrawal from the election race. 

Five women threatened to commit ‘jauhar (self-immolation)’ outside the state BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar, prompting the tightening of security.  

A report in The Indian Express also said that villagers in Narmada, Chhota Udepur and Bharuch had put up banners barring the BJP from campaigning in the areas until Rupala’s candidature was withdrawn. 

In Rajkot, members of the Kshatriya community organised a rally to present a memorandum to the district election officer, to express their discontent over Rupala. At a meeting of the community in Rajkot, leaders also decided to launch demonstrations across the state under the banner of ‘Operation Rupala’ until their demands were addressed. They also announced plans to field candidates from all of the state’s seats if Rupala were allowed to contest.

A meeting between a BJP delegation and community leaders had ended without consensus, the Express report said.

Mahipal Singh Makrana, the president of the Shree Rashtriya Karni Sena, who was briefly detained along with the five women, said the BJP may lose Rajput support.

“Rajputs are a traditional vote bank of the BJP. If Brahmins and Baniyas have traditionally supported the BJP, Rajputs have also played a big role,” he was quoted as saying by PTI. “So far, Rajputs have voted for the BJP. But if, for a single person, Modiji is ready to lose power at the Centre, then let it be so.”