Kshatriyas disrupt Modi Parivar Sabha held in Rajkot, in protest against Rupala

The incident took place Friday when Babariya, in whose Assembly constituency Tramba village falls, was presiding over a Modi Parivar Sabha as part of Rupala’s campaign for the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat. A purported video of the incident showed a huge group of men seated near the dais rising from their chairs and raising slogans against Rupala when Bhupat Bodar, former president of Rajkot district panchayat, was addressing the meeting. A BJP leader, Bodar is the sitting member of district panchayat from Tramba segment.

A video grab of protests at BJP’s Modi Parivar Sabha event in Rajkot on Friday.

The video showed policemen deployed at the venue acting promptly and herding the protesters away from the dais and eventually guiding them into a police bus parked outside. “Some men resorted to slogan shouting at the meeting as part of the ongoing protests by the Kshatriya community and disturbed the meeting. Therefore, police staff who were present at the venue took them into preventive detention to maintain law and order,” B V Jadav, assistant commissioner of police east division of Rajkot city police, told The Indian Express.

Babariya and Bodar could not be reached for a comment. The protests in Tramba came hours after a group of leaders from Kathi Darbara, who are OBCs but considered Kshatriyas, held a press conference at BJP office in Rajkot city to declare their support stating they have accepted Rupala’s apology.

Earlier in the day, the Kshatriyas staged a similar agitation in Jamnagar before Paatil arrived at the election meeting venue. Around three dozen Kshatriyas were detained by the police near Oswal Centre as the BJP meeting was in progress.

CR Paatil (second from right) looks on as sitting BJP MP from Jamnagar, Poonam Maadam lights the ceremonial lamp at the BJP meeting in Jamnagar on Friday. (Express photo)

J V Chaudhary, inspector of ‘C’ Division police station, said that 26 people were detained before the meeting commenced. “We had inputs that they could create a law and order situation in the area and therefore, they were detained as a preventive measure,” Chaudhary told The Indian Express.

Later, Panchkoshi ‘B’ Division police station in Jamnagar detained 13 other protesters, including four women, at the same event while the meeting was in progress. They were taken to Panchkoshi ‘B’ Division police station and released later, CM Kateliya, sub-inspector in-charge, said.

The Kshatriyas have been protesting for the past two weeks against Rupala for his remarks about the community. The Union Minister has since apologised twice. However, the community has been continuing their protests to seek withdrawal of Rupala’s candidature.