Amid ongoing intense election campaign in the Jammu-Reasi Lok Sabha Parliamentary constituency, the decision of the Yuva Rajput Sabha to hold a protest against Union Minister and BJP leader from Gujarat Purshotam Rupala has raised many eyebrows.
A massive controversy has erupted in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana after Union Minister Purshotam Rupala gave a controversial statement, for which he already has tendered an unconditional apology but there was no protest in the Jammu region.
Except for a press conference by Rajinder Singh Manhas, patron of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, who also happened to be the senior leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), not even a single Rajput leader in Jammu has tried to rake up this issue in this part of the country.
Although some leaders tried to rake up this issue during the first phase of elections, they were snubbed by “assertive” BJP leaders.
But after the completion of the voting in the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat some forces started raking up statements of Purshotam Rupala in the Jammu region to create trouble for BJP candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma who is trying to make a hat-trick on Jammu-Reasi Parliamentary constituency which was earlier called as Jammu-Poonch seat.
Interestingly during the last couple of days, some forces are raising this issue on social media to corner the BJP, especially Jugal Kishore Sharma. Videos and pictures of the protest by Rajput community members have been posted on various social media platforms to generate a debate ahead of the polling on the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat.
Highly placed sources said that the decision to rake up Rupala’s issue has been part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to create trouble for Jugal Kishore Sharma ahead of the polling.
“Involvement of a senior BJP leader, who always patronage leaders of Yuva Rajput Sabha, has not ruled out”, a source said, adding, “This senior BJP leader was himself aspirant for Lok Sabha seat so he wants to create trouble for Jugal Kishore Sharma”.
Important to mention here that the same BJP leader was seen sharing the stage with the leaders of Yuva Rajput Sabha on many occasions and it is widely believed in the political circle that Yuva Rajput Sabha has patronage of this leader.
Sources said that the timing of the protest substantiated the allegation that it was a conspiracy hatched by some insiders to create problems for Jugal Kishore Sharma ahead of the election.
Rajputs are a dominant force in the Jammu-Reasi Lok Sabha constituency which also comprises of Samba district.
On Monday, activists of the Yuva Rajput Sabha organized a protest against the controversial statement of Union Minister Purshotam Rupala, the new reservation policy, and also the demand for statehood for J&K.
Notable for the last month protests have been going on in different parts of the country against the statement of Purshotam Rupala but Rajput leaders were silent.
Launching a blistering attack on BJP candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma leader of Yuva Rajput Sabha warned to give a befitting reply to the Saffron party in the coming election. “Why BJP leaders are silent over the controversial statement of Purshotam Rupala?”, he asked and lambasted the leadership of Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha for not speaking on this issue.
