Haryana: Rajputs threaten to oppose BJP in elections over Mihir Bhoj statue row

Miffed over the statue of king Mihir Bhoj, a 9th-century ruler, with the word “Gurjar” inscribed on the plaque in Kaithal district, a state-level rally of Rajput community members on Wednesday resolved to oppose the ruling BJP leaders in the next year’s elections in Haryana

The speakers at the Kshatriya Mahakumbh even threatened to not allow the leaders of the ruling parties in the Rajput-dominated villages of Haryana during elections. The speakers slammed the ruling BJP-JJP government in the state for not taking action against the people behind the installation of the statue, rather using police force to disperse the youths of Rajput community.

“Rajputs of Haryana are not alone. The entire community from different parts of the country, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, are with them and we will take this battle to the entire country,” said speaker Mahipal Chauhan. Later, thousands of members of the Rajput community took out a Swabhiman Yatra from Sector 19 to mini-secretariat in Kaithal and submitted a memorandum to the district administration.

The controversy over the legacy of Mihir Bhoj erupted in July, when BJP MLA from Kaithal Lila Ram Gurjar, along with hundreds of members of the Gurjar community, unveiled the statue of the 9th-century ruler with prefix “Gurjar Pratihar Samrat Mihir Bhoj”. The move was vigorously objected by the Rajput community. They held several meetings in the state and took up the issue with the Haryana government.

Following this, the Punjab and Haryana high court directed to cover the word “Gurjar” til the judgment. Meanwhile, the state government had agreed before the HC to constitute a committee of representatives from the two communities, Gurjar and Rajput, and historians to find a solution to the controversy surrounding the installation of the statue.