Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP’s Kshatriya leaders urge community to forgive Parshottam Rupala, vote for party in nation's interest

Ahmedabad: Kshatriya leaders associated with the BJP in Gujarat on Sunday appealed to the community to forgive Union minister Parshottam Rupala for his remarks and vote for the saffron party in the nation’s interest.

Rupala is the BJP candidate from Rajkot Lok Sabha constituency. Barring Surat, where the party nominee has won unopposed, the other 25 seats in the state will go to polls in the third phase on May 7.

Kshatriyas, also known as Rajputs, have been protesting in different parts of Gujarat over Rupala’s alleged derogatory remarks about former rulers, urging people to vote against BJP candidates across the state.

With just two days left for polling, BJP's Kshatriya leaders on Sunday issued a joint statement appealing to the community to show a big heart and embrace the Sanskrit verse “kshama virasya bhushanam” (forgiveness is the ornament of the brave).

“Even BJP's Kshatriya leaders and workers were hurt by Rupala’s remarks. In view of that, Rupala has apologised more than once. He has also urged the community not to punish Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his mistakes,” said the statement.

During his visit to the state on May 2 for campaigning, PM Modi had called on the scion of the Jamnagar royal family and praised the Kshatriya community for its sacrifices.

The statement said the community should show a big heart and forgive Rupala in the interest of the nation.

It has been signed by former ministers Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, IK Jadeja, Pradipsinh Jadeja, and Jaydrathsinh Parmar, and labour and employment minister Balvantsinh Rajput.

The statement also bears the signatures of Rajkot royal family scion Mandhatasinh Jadeja, MLAs Kiritsinh Rana, CK Raulji and Arunsunh Rana and Rajya Sabha MP Kesridevsinh Zala.

The Kshatriya leaders said when India is on its path to becoming the world’s third-largest economy, it is everyone's duty to support Modi during the Lok Sabha polls.

“We have to protect our country and Sanatan Dharma. The Kshatriya community's contribution was significant in the development of India and Gujarat under BJP. When this development journey continues in future, we appeal to Kshatriyas to maintain their tradition and vote for BJP in this election,” the statement said.

The BJP leaders said that though Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP's Bhavnagar candidate had also made controversial statements about the rulers of former princely states, the community is yet to secure their apology. On the other hand, Rupala along with the Gujarat BJP president have apologised more than once, said the statement.

The BJP leaders asked how the community would give its vote to the Congress which always indulged in 'appeasement politics and even denied the existence of Lord Ram in the past'.

The Kshatriya community in Gujarat is angry with Rupala for his statement about former rulers.

Rupala had triggered a row by claiming that erstwhile ‘maharajas’ succumbed to the persecution by foreign rulers and Britishers and even married off their daughters to them.

The community strongly objected to the remarks as the majority of the erstwhile royals were Rajputs.

Since the BJP did not remove Rupala as its Rajkot candidate as demanded by the agitating Rajputs, the community launched a statewide stir last month to 'defeat' the BJP in at least 10 seats in Gujarat, including Rajkot and Jamnagar.