May 08, 2024 10:04 PM IST
Union minister Parshottam Rupala said the just-concluded elections as the toughest period of the four-decade-long political career
AHMEDABAD: Union minister Parshottam Rupala, whose remarks on Kshatriyas sparked widespread protests by the Rajput community in Gujarat, on Wednesday again apologised for his remark, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party got entangled in the controversy that followed.”
“It was very painful for me because the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi suffered because of me,” Rupala told a news conference on Wednesday, a day after Gujarat voted in the Lok Sabha elections.
Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now!
The minister, who described the just-concluded elections as the toughest period of the four-decade-long political career, said he decided to apologise again a day after polling to underscore that his apology wasn’t just to gain an electoral advantage.
Also Read: HistoriCity | What explains the brouhaha over Rupala’s statements
“Today, one more time, I tender a humble apology,” he said.
Rupala, who hails from the Patidar community, landed in a huge political row over his remarks at a small Dalit gathering on March 22. “Maharajas had given their daughters to foreign rulers and the British and broke bread with them while us Dalits neither gave up our religion nor made any relations with them, we are the true inheritors of Sanatan dharma,” he said.
Also Read: How Rupala’s remarks triggered caste-based challenges for BJP in Gujarat
The Rajput community promptly demanded that the BJP drop Rupala as a candidate in the Lok Sabha elections from Rajkot but the party did not back down, angering the Kshatriya-Rajput community.
Rupala said his oratory skills, which were once an asset for the BJP, proved troublesome this time with one comment about the Rajput community. “I admit that and take full responsibility. I am human, and to err is human. I apologised immediately, even before Rajputs protested. Later, I apologised before the community,” he said.
Also Read: Why is the BJP not afraid of protests by the Rajput community
The BJP leader also praised the Kshatriya community for not blocking voting on May 7. “Their yesterday’s conduct was highly praiseworthy, and I want to thank the Kshatriya community as they did not create any hurdles in the election process yesterday.”
Rajkot recorded 59.6% voting.
Rupala was pitted against Congress leader Paresh Dhanani, who belongs to the powerful Leuva Patidar community for the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat.
