Rajkot, April 1 (IANS): Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, the BJP candidate for the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, declared on Monday that he had issued two apologies concerning his remarks about the maharajas and considers the matter resolved.

Union Minister Rupala mentioned that leaders of the Kshatriya community also share this viewpoint.

Addressing queries he asserted the community's right to assembly and acknowledged that the decision to replace him as a candidate rests with the BJP and the community.

Senior BJP leader Rupala emphasised that candidate selection was the prerogative of the party high command and dismissed any speculative discussions concerning it.

He hoped that his “apologies would be accepted, aligning with the Kshatriya dharma.”

Union Minister Rupala clarified that he had not made any derogatory comments about the Rajput community and labelled the issue as political.

On March 30, Raj Shekhawat, chief of the Karni Sena, had officially resigned from the BJP and rejected minister Rupala's apology for his remarks that offended the Rajput community.

Raj Shekhawat's resignation was made public through a social media post.

Meanwhile, internal strife within the BJP in Gujarat has been exacerbated by CR Paatil's apparent preference for new entrants over party veterans.

This strategy has led to discontent among grass roots workers who are feeling sidelined in the wake of the BJP welcoming defectors and the ostentation of recruitment events.