Rajkot: The Rajkot BJP has firmly denied allegations that Rajya Sabha MP Ram Mokariya was deliberately excluded from recent municipal events. Some media reports had claimed that Mokariya’s entry was barred from the events at the behest of the party — claims that have since been debunked as fake news.

The issue arose after Mokariya’s name was missing from the invitation cards for two development project inaugurations held by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) on August 1 in Wards 13 and 14.

MP Mokariya, known for his outspoken and candid remarks—even on matters concerning government departments—was notably absent from the invitee list, sparking speculation of internal friction and deliberate sidelining. However, both the Rajkot BJP president and the city’s mayor have dismissed such claims as baseless.

“Ram Mokariya is our elder and a respected leader. There is no question of excluding him,” said Mayor Naynaben Pedhadiya. “On the day of the RMC event, Parliament was in session and Mokariya was in Delhi. We never received any directive from the party to keep him out. He is outspoken and honest, and we have no issue with that.”

Rajkot City BJP President Madhav Dave echoed this view, saying, “No instruction was given to exclude MP Ram Mokariya. It seems to be a misunderstanding. The two events on August 1 were only 30 minutes apart and were organized by the Municipal Corporation, not the BJP. Since the Parliament session was ongoing, Mokariya’s absence was likely due to his legislative commitments. I will, however, speak to the mayor to clarify any confusion.”

Despite these clarifications, some pointed out that Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP Purushottam Rupala’s name appeared on the same invitations—even though he was also attending the Parliament session in Delhi. This raised questions about the inconsistent inclusion of MPs in official invitations. However, BJP’s local leadership insists there was no deliberate omission and that the matter is being unnecessarily politicized. DeshGujarat