Rajasthan: Eye on polls, Brahmins hold show of strength

Jaipur: The unity shown by Brahmins today should remain intact forever, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, as people of the community gathered in large numbers in Jaipur on Sunday.

“This unity of ours will be used in the building of the nation and in removing unrighteousness. You are the upholders and protectors of dharma,” Vaishnaw said.

Brahmins' show of strength

The show of strength by the Brahmins came just two weeks after the Jats held a mass meeting on March 5 in Jaipur seeking where leaders of the community sought top political positions and representation. In December, the Rajputs had organised a mass meeting of community members in Jaipur.

The mahapanchayat of the Brahmins, called by the Vipra Sena, a Jaipur-based organisation of the community, was attended by senior leaders of various political parties including the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mahapanchayat raises demand for reservation of EWS

The mahapanchayat also raised the demand of reservation of seats in assemblies and Parliament for the economically weaker section (EWS) of society and the declaration of Parshuram Jayanti as a national holiday, as well as encroachment-free temple land and security for priests.

Rajya Sabha BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari raised the demand of the government handing over control of all Sanatan temples to Hindus by making a Hindu Religious Act on the lines of the Wakf Act and giving reservation to EWS on the lines of other communities. He said that only Hindus should have the right to temples.

The leaders also demanded that the chief minister be from the community. “It is time to wake up as Brahmins are the largest community in Rajasthan and the number of MLAs, which used to be 60 at one point in time, is just 17 now,” said Congress leader Pushpendra Bhardwaj, who demanded that 60 Brahmins from both the Congress and the BJP be nominated to contest the coming elections.