Parshottam Rupala
{{Short description|Indian politician (b. 1954)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP primary sources|date=March 2016}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2016}}
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{{Infobox officeholder
| image = The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala.jpg
| office = Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
| term_start = 7 July 2021
| term_end = 11 June 2024
| primeminister = Narendra Modi
| predecessor = Giriraj Singh
| successor = Lalan Singh
| office1 = Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
| term_start1 = 5 July 2016
| term_end1 = 7 July 2021
| primeminister1 = Narendra Modi
| minister1 = Radha Mohan Singh
Narendra Singh Tomar
| office2 = Minister of State for Panchayati Raj
| term_start2 = 5 July 2016
| term_end2 = 30 May 2019
| primeminister2 = Narendra Modi
| minister2 = Narendra Singh Tomar
| office3 = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
| term_start3 = 1 June 2016
| term_end3 = 2 April 2024
| predecessor3 = Praveen Rashtrapal
| successor3 = J. P. Nadda
| constituency3 = Gujarat
| term_start4 = 10 April 2008
| term_end4 = 9 April 2014
| constituency4 = Gujarat
| office5 = President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Gujarat
| term_start5 = 26 October 2006
| term_end5 = 1 February 2010
| predecessor5 = Vajubhai Vala
| successor5 = R. C. Faldu
| office6 = Minister of Agriculture
Government of Gujarat
| term_start6 = 7 October 2001
| term_end6 = 21 December 2002
| 1blankname6 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata6 = Narendra Modi
| office7 = Minister of Irrigation & Water Supply
Government of Gujarat
| term_start7 = 19 March 1995
| term_end7 = 19 September 1996
| 1blankname7 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata7 = Keshubhai Patel
Suresh Mehta
| office8 = Member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly
| term_start8 = 1991
| term_end8 = 2002
| constituency8 = Amreli
| predecessor8 = Dileepbhai Sanghani
| successor8 = Paresh Dhanani
| office9 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
| term_start9 = 4 June 2024
| term_end9 =
| constituency9 = Rajkot
| predecessor9 = Mohan Kundariya
| successor9 =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|10|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = Amreli, Bombay State, India
| party = Bharatiya Janata Party
| spouse = Savitaben Rupala (m. 1979)
| children = One daughter and one son
| occupation = Politician, Agriculturist
| alma_mater = B. Sc. (Saurashtra University)
B. Ed. (Gujarat University)
| website = {{url|http://www.parshottamrupala.com}}
| source = https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/member_site/Main.aspx
}}
Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala (born 1 October 1954) is an Indian politician and Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in the Second Modi ministry.{{cite web | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/cabinet-reshuffle-meet-some-of-the-faces-from-pm-modis-new-team/articleshow/84203141.cms | title=Cabinet Reshuffle: The full list of Modi's new ministers and what they got | publisher=The Economic Times | date=8 July 2021 | accessdate=8 July 2021}} He was elected to 18th Lok Sabha from Rajkot. He was a member of Rajya Sabha,{{cite web|url=http://164.100.47.5/Newmembers/alphabeticallist_all_terms.aspx|title=Alphabetical List Of Former Members Of Rajya Sabha Since 1952|access-date=1 October 2015|archive-date=14 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214083532/http://164.100.47.5/Newmembers/alphabeticallist_all_terms.aspx|url-status=dead}} representing the Indian state of Gujarat and a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party. He was a former member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly from Amreli and formerly served as a minister in Government of Gujarat.
Early life
Rupala was born to Hariben Khodabhai and Khodabhai Madhabhai, on 1 October 1954.{{cite web|url=http://www.archive.india.gov.in/govt/rajyasabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=2072|title=Detailed Profile - Shri Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala - Members of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) - Who's Who - Government: National Portal of India}} Rupala earned his B.Sc. and B.Ed. He studied at Saurashtra University and Gujarat University in 1976–1977.
Before entering politics, he served as School Principal at Hamapur in Medium School from 1977 to 1983.{{cite web|url=http://parshottamrupala.com/index.php/about-rupalaji/about-us/life-sketch|title=Parshottam Rupala's life sketch|author=Administrator}} He was the chief officer of the Amreli municipality from November 1983 to March 1987.
Career
Rupala was the president of the Amreli district Bhartiya Janta Party from 1988 to 1991. This led to his service as Secretary of the Bhartiya Janta Party in 1992.
He was Chairman of a youth hostel from February 2002 to 2004. He served as trustee of Kadva Patidar trust, in Amreli, Chairman of Madad Trust and President of the Gujarat electricity board union.
He served 3 consecutive terms as a member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly ending in 2002.{{cite web|url=http://parshottamrupala.com/index.php/about-rupalaji/about-us/political-background|title=Polytical History Of Parshottam Rupala|author=Administrator}}
He was a Cabinet Minister in Narmada for Irrigation and Water Supply from 19 March 1995 to 20 October 1995 and again from 4 November 1995 to 18 September 1996; for Agriculture from 9 October 2001 to 21 December 2002. He chaired the Public Accounts Committee of Gujarat Legislative Assembly from March 1997 to December 1997.
He was the Chairman of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (G.I.D.C.) from June 1998 to October 2001.
He was elected a Rajya Sabha Member (2008-2009) where he served on the Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Member (Aug. 2009 - Aug. 2010), on the Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice Member (July 2010 -), on the Committee for the Ministry of Shipping Member (Sept. 2010 -) and on the Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers Member, Committee on Agriculture (Aug. 2012 -).
He was again elected to Rajya Sabha in June 2016 in by-poll following death of sitting Congress MP Praveen Rashtrapal.{{cite web|date=3 June 2016|title=BJP's Parshottam Rupala Elected To Rajya Sabha From Gujarat|url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjps-parshottam-rupala-elected-to-rajya-sabha-from-gujarat-1415270|access-date=12 June 2016|website=NDTV.com}} From May 2019 to July 2021, he served as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.{{citation |title=PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers |url=https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/pm-modi-allocates-portfolios-full-list-of-new-ministers-1559288502067.html |work=Live Mint |date=31 May 2019 }} In July 2021, he became Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.{{Cite web|date=2021-08-07|title=Parshottam Rupala gets Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/parshottam-rupala-gets-ministry-of-fisheries-animal-husbandry-and-dairying-1825257-2021-07-08|access-date=2021-07-08|website=India Today}}{{cite news |last1=India Today |date=8 July 2021 |title=Parshottam Rupala gets Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/parshottam-rupala-gets-ministry-of-fisheries-animal-husbandry-and-dairying-1825257-2021-07-07 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240704062050/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/parshottam-rupala-gets-ministry-of-fisheries-animal-husbandry-and-dairying-1825257-2021-07-07 |archivedate=4 July 2024 |accessdate=4 July 2024 |language=en}}
He was elected to Loksabha from Rajkot constituency in 2024 Indian general election.
Controversies
During the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Parshottam Rupala, stirred controversy due to his remarks about the Rajput community during a campaign rally. His comments, which criticized the actions of erstwhile 'maharajas' for allegedly capitulating to foreign rulers and British colonizers, sparked protests from the Rajput community.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |date=2024-04-20 |title=BJP's Rajkot candidate Parshottam Rupala confident of victory amid protests over his remarks on Kshatriyas |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/gujarat/lok-sabha-elections-2024-bjp-parshottam-rupala-remarks-over-kshatriyas-rajput-community-bjp-pm-narendra-modi-latest-updates-2024-04-20-927211 |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=www.indiatvnews.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Thakurs Emerge as the Biggest Chink in Modi's Armour |url=https://thewire.in/politics/thakurs-emerge-as-the-biggest-chink-in-modis-armour |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=The Wire |language=en}}
The Rajput community perceived Rupala's remarks as an insult, considering that the majority of the erstwhile rulers in Gujarat were from their community. Despite Rupala's public apology and request for forgiveness, community leaders continued to demand BJP to remove him from the list of candidates, threatening to vote against the party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-21 |title=Why the BJP is not afraid of protests by the Rajput community? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/why-the-bjp-is-not-afraid-of-protests-by-the-rajput-community-101713635468851.html |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} But high command didn’t change the candidate and continued with Rupala. Despite this he was elected from Rajkot.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Rupala won as Kshatriya stir polarised voters in favour of BJP: Rajkot Congress president |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/rupala-won-as-kshatriya-stir-polarised-voters-in-favour-of-bjp-rajkot-congress-president-9376990/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}
Personal life
Rupala married Savitaben in 1979. They have a daughter and one son.
References
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External links
{{Commons}}
- {{Official website}}
{{Second Narendra Modi Cabinet}}
{{Cabinet of Narendra Modi}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rupala, Parsottambhai}}
Category:People from Amreli district
Category:Gujarat MLAs 1990–1995
Category:Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat
Category:Gujarat MLAs 1998–2002
Category:Gujarat MLAs 1995–1998
Category:Narendra Modi ministry
Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Gujarat