A mega convention held by various Rajput organisations in Ratanpur on the outskirts of Rajkot to press for the withdrawal of Union Minister Parshottam Rupala as the BJP Lok Sabha candidate saw a huge turnout Sunday.
While women turned out in saffron attires, many men adhered to the dress code of white shirts, black pants and turbans.
Inayat Khan Rathore, from the erstwhile princely state of Vanod, who represents the Gujarat Mole Salam Garasiya Sanghathan — an organisation of Muslim Rajputs from Gujarat, Kathi Darbar leaders and a few Dalit and Adivasi leaders were among those who spoke at the protest event held by the Co-ordination Committee of Rajput Organisations. They said they were “grateful” to the Kshatriya community for “making” them landowners.
Among the speakers was Shree Rajput Karni Sena national president Mahipal Singh Makrana who was detained in Gujarat on April 6 when he came to meet some women from the Karni Sena who had threatened to do ‘jauhar’ (self-immolation) to protest against Rupala.
The leaders urged the Kshatriya women to come out in large numbers to vote on May 7 when Gujarat goes to polls. (Express File Photo)
At least three women Kshatriya leaders, including Truptiba Raol, president of the Coordination Committee of Rajput Organisations, and Mahila Karni Sena’s Padminiba Vala who had gone on a hunger fast to protest against Rupala, spoke at the event. The leaders also urged the Kshatriya women to come out in large numbers to vote on May 7 when Gujarat goes to polls.
The Kshatriyas have been up in arms against Rupala’s comments that the maharajas bowed down to the British “breaking bread with them and giving their daughters in marriage”.
