Haryana: BJP leaders resign en masse over police crackdown at unveiling of 9th-century ruler’s statue

Kaithal (Haryana) [India], July 22 (ANI): Several BJP members from Haryana's Kaithal district resigned from their respective party posts on Saturday over the flare-up between the Gujjar and Rajput communities on July 19.
Tension prevailed between the two communities over the unveiling of a statue of 9th century ruler, Mihir Bhoj. 
Members of the Rajpur community alleged that they were lathi-charged after they put forward their demand to inscribe the words 'Hindu Samrat' on the statue of Mihir Bhoj. 
"We were only demanding that our great leader Mihir Bhoj's statue be inscribed with the words 'Hindu Samrat'. We did not ask anyone to inscribe 'Rajput' or 'Gujjar' on it but were still lathi-charged," Sanjeev Rana, the district head of the BJP's Kisan Morcha, said. 
"Members of our community were holding a peaceful protest but the police wielded their batons on us," he added.
On July 19, the police allegedly resorted to a lathi charge on BJP leaders, mostly from the Rajput community, who had gathered to stage a protest during the unveiling of the statue of the 9th-century ruler.
The Rajput leaders claimed they were protesting against the word 'Gujjar' inscribed on the statue. 
"Were we criminals? The police lathi-charged and lobbed tear gas shells on us at the behest of the government. Just a day after the incident, the administration organised an event to lay floral wreaths at the statue. This only goes to show that the BJP doesn't need the Rajputs," Rana said. 
"All Rajput leaders of the BJP tendered their resignations to Haryana state president Om Prakash Dhankhar. We resigned from all the posts that we held in the party," he added. 
Among the BJP leaders who resigned en masse were Mahipal Rana, divisional president Kalayat; Sanjeev Rana, district head of the Kisan Morcha; Jaideep Rana, vice president, Kisan Morcha, Kaithal; Sandeep Rana, district convenor, Rahul Rana, divisional general secretary, Kalayat; and Amit Rana, mandal president, among others. 
Rana demanded that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar issued a clarification on why the police lathi-charged and lobbed tear gas at them.
"We will stay out of the BJP till CM Khattar holds a discussion with us," he added. 
Meanwhile, Union Minister and BJP leader Krishna Pal Gurjar sought to play down the July 19 incident and the mass resignations that followed saying the Rajputs and Gujjars were brothers and belong to one political party. 
"For everyone — be it Rajputs, Gujjars or others — the nation comes first. We all are brothers belonging to one political party. These are trivial issues that we will sort out amongst ourselves," the minister said. (ANI)