BJP candidate Rupala faces wrath of Kshatriyas over his remarks 

His speech, which went viral on social media, offended the Kshatriya or Rajputs in Saurashtra and parts of north Gujarat.

The Kshatriya community continued its protests against the BJP candidate from Rajkot, Parshottam Rupala, for his controversial remarks against its members. 

On Friday, protests were held at around a dozen places in Saurashtra and north Gujarat, with members of different Kshatriya castes demanding that his candidature be withdrawn. 

The Union Minister, during an election campaign speech on March 22, remarked that erstwhile ‘maharajas’ (Kshatriya kings) had succumbed to foreign rulers like the British and forged family bonds with them. Princely families broke bread with the British rulers and also married their daughters to them, he said. Mr. Rupala then praised a Dalit community saying it had not bowed down before the British regime.

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In Gujarat, there were hundreds of small princely families before Independence. 

His speech, which went viral on social media, offended the Kshatriya or Rajputs in Saurashtra and parts of north Gujarat with significant hold of different castes of the erstwhile ruling class.

In Saurashtra alone, the BJP has half a dozen legislators or parliamentarians from the Kshatriya community such as cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba, who is the Jamnagar MLA, and former Wankaner royal family’s scion Kesridevsinh Jhala, a Rajya Sabha member.