Surat: Rajkot Lok Sabha seat BJP candidate and union minister Parshottam Rupala is in Surat today to address a public meeting of people from Rajkot rural areas residing in Surat. According to party leader Bharat Boghra, the public meeting will be attended by people from all castes at Gopin village. Boghra said the party will appeal to the voters to travel to their villages in the Rajkot Lok Sabha constituency area to cast a vote in favor of the BJP to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi. Boghra said the public meeting is not for only Patidar community people but for the people from all communities. Rupala addressed a gathering in the afternoon at Umiyadham Mandir and also performed darshan at Umiya Mandir, the Kuldevi Goddess of Kadva Patidar community.

Meanwhile, after yesterday’s huge rally of Kshatriya community protestors against Parshottam Rupala, today another ally is scheduled to be held in Dhandhuka. In another development, Karni Sena’s Gujarat-based leader Raj Shekhawat who recently resigned from BJP today in a video message appealed to Kshatriya community members to gather in large numbers at 2 pm on 9th of April to Gherao the State BJP headquarters with a demand to withdraw the party ticket to Parshottam Rupala.

In the State capital Gandhinagar, the Kshatriya – Rajput leaders of BJP held another meeting with Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi at the latter’s residence. In Ahmedabad, Kshatriya leader Shersinh Rana interacted with media persons and said, ‘atma of animal has entered in Rupala’s body as he is the animal husbandry minister in the Centre. But Kshatriyas know how to remove animal’s atma from a person’s body.’

Rupala had while hailing the Schedule Caste Rukhi community people mentioned last month the historical fact that princesses of Maharajas were wedded (to Mughals in the past), while the Rukhi community didn’t bend before the oppressors and didn’t leave their faith even under the threat of swords. Rupala’s remark has triggered anger among Rajput  – the Kshatriya community which is now demanding the BJP to withdraw the candidature of Rupala. The agitation by the community has been so far non-violent. Gujarat is going for polling for 26 Lok Sabha seats on the 7th of May. Rupala has apologized twice with folded hands for his remark. State BJP chief CR Patil has also apologized with folded hand over this remark. DeshGujarat