Kshatriya protests on, Gujarat BJP chief: ‘No magic wand’

As the BJP grapples with protests by the Kshatriya community in Gujarat over the comments of Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, its Rajkot Lok Sabha candidate, state party president C R Paatil on Thursday wrote on X that he did not have a “magic wand”. The BJP leader later told The Indian Express that there was “no question of a lack of confidence” and that talks with the protesters were going on.

In his message to BJP workers, Paatil, who was appointed Gujarat BJP chief in July 2020, wrote on X, “When I took over as party president, I said we would win eight out of eight seats (in eight Assembly bypolls). It was you people (party workers) who won all those eight seats. In the elections of taluka panchayat, district panchayat, municipalities, and municipal corporations too I claimed we would win more than 90% seats. We did win 90.5% seats. We won 31 out of 31 district panchayats.”

He added, “As party president, I do not have a magic wand. I made those statements based on the strength of BJP workers. I am confident that you will certainly prove my statement of winning all 26 seats by a margin of more than five lakh votes in the LS elections come true.”

The BJP is facing the ire of some members of the Kshatriya community over Rupala’s remark at a Dalit meeting on March 22 about how kings bowed before the British, “broke bread with them and gave their daughters in marriage”. Rupala has apologised thrice but the protesters have stuck to the demand that the party withdraw his candidature. bout the Kshatriya community’s protests, Paatil said, “Talks with the leaders of the community are going on and we will succeed.”