As election heat grips the nation with Lok Sabha polls nearing, Surat on Sunday evening witnessed rivals wooing the Patidar and Kshatriya voters while trying to catch the pulse of the communities with different appeals. Congress leader Paresh Dhanani latched on to the current wave of protests by Kshatriyas against Union Minister Parshottam Rupala even as the BJP leader attended an event by the Patidar community about 3 kms away.
Rupala, who last month plunged himself into a controversy with a comment on erstwhile maharajas, addressed a public meeting organised by local Patidar leaders at Gopin village in Varachha.
Even as Surat BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was not present at the Sneh Milan event, Rupala hailed Surat for the growth over the years. “Earlier I had addressed many public meetings in Surat in 1995 and 2000 and found Surat to be ‘mini-Saurashtra’.. Today, Surat is being acknowledged across India. People from other states come here to earn bread and butter and send money to their hometowns. Surat has stirred the Gujarati pride in other states. People from the city have also accepted people from other states. Now, such a time has come that people from other states are proud of their link to Surat.”
The Union Minister is the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Rajkot. The party and the leader are currently tackling a controversy related to Rupala’s comments at a March 22 event, which have been labelled as anti-Kshatriya. He had said that the former rulers bowed down to the British. A large number of rulers, however, were said to have belonged to the Kshatriya community. Meanwhile, on Sunday, he urged migrant workers, “Each individual should contact at least 50 people at his native place and start campaigning for the BJP.”
INDIA bloc Surat candidate Nilesh Kumbhani and Paresh Dhanani at a public meeting in Varachha (File Photo)
A few kilometres away at Sudama chowk in Varachha, INDIA bloc held Jan Sankalp Sabha to back Surat Lok Sabha candidate and Congress leader Nilesh Kumbhani. Sharing the stage were former Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani, AAP national joint secretary Gopal Italia and AAP Surat city president Mahendra Navadia.
While addressing the gathering, Congress leader Paresh Dhanani attacked the ruling BJP. “Surat, which is the economic capital of the state, witnessed two political public meetings on Sunday evening. At one place where those who are scared of CBI, ED, and other central agencies attended the event of Rupala. Here, those who have been victimised by these agencies have gathered.” He also made a colonial-era reference. “During the independence movement, Britishers came here with a motive of doing business and later they ruled India. Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and others fought for independence. It was the rulers of Gohilwad and others who supported Sardar Patel who had given their ruling areas (properties) for union of India. Those who had given their entire ruling areas to the Union of India. They are presently unhappy with the government.”
Dhanani added, “During elections, BJP used to threaten voters saying the rival party (Congress) has leaders who are Rajputs and Darbars like Shaktisinh Gohil, Bharatsinh Solanki and others. By showing the fear of these leaders they have taken votes of other communities and have ruled Gujarat for over two decades. They (BJP) have cheated us, as they have taken votes from us and have changed the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai stadium and we are helpless as we cannot do anything.” He said, “It is for the first time after independence that the women of Rajput and Kshatriya communities have come on road against the BJP. Those who have cheated us are now facing anger.”
The Congress has been attacking BJP over the Kshatriya stir while the Patidar community has also been urged not to wade into the controversy.
