Kaithal: Meet demands or face boycott, Rajputs’ ultimatum to BJP
Karnal, October 18
Expressing their anger against the BJP for not taking action against officials and party leaders for the alleged lathicharge on youths of the community during the July 19 protest, members of the Rajput community today announced that they would boycott the BJP in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections if their demands were not accepted within 15 days.
The lathicharge took place a day before the unveiling of the statue of Raja Mihir Bhoj in Kaithal, depicting him as a member of the Gurjar community.
What they want
- Termination of service of cops responsible for July 19 lathicharge on youths
- Setting up of committee of historians to determine whether Raja Mihir Bhoj belonged to Rajput or Gurjar community
- Formation of a “kshatriya kalyan board”
- Chair in the name of Maharana Pratap at Kurukshetra University
The decision to boycott the BJP was taken at a mahapanchayat in Kaithal city, which was attended by community members from Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, and Punjab. They reiterated the demand for the formation of an expert committee of historians to determine whether Raja Mihir Bhoj belonged to the Rajput or Gurjar community.
Col Davinder Singh (retd), state president of the Haryana Pratinidhi Sabha, said resentment prevailed among community members against the BJP for not redressing the issue. “The BJP is not taking a stand due to political pressure. We will boycott the BJP in the 2024 elections if our demands are not accepted,” he said.
“We have been demanding that ‘Gurjar’ should not be written on his statue and should be removed wherever it is written,” he said, seeking the formation of a “kshatriya kalyan board” for the welfare of the community. He also demanded the termination of service of police personnel responsible for the lathicharge.
Community leaders also demanded the resignation of Kaithal district BJP president Ashok Gurjar, besides the setting up of a chair in the name of Maharana Pratap at Kurukshetra University.
