Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia was on Thursday detained by Delhi police after a furore that kicked up over his alleged ‘derogatory’ comments made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was released later in the evening.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) had earlier issued a notice and asked the AAP’s Gujarat president to appear before the commission on October 13 for a personal hearing.
Two old videos of Italia have recently surfaced, one in which he criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s politics and uses a cuss word for his government, and another in which he tells women that “temples and kathas (religious discourses) are breeding grounds of exploitation” where they will gain nothing, and advises mothers and daughters to avoid going to temples if they want development and respect.
The Commission took cognizance of the video on PM Modi video on Sunday, after the clip was shared on Twitter by BJP leader Tajinder Bagga. The Commission in the notice stated, “The language used by Italia is language bias, misogynistic and extremely shameful, condemnable and unbecoming of you.”
Defending Italia, AAP Gujarat’s co-incharge and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha had on Monday said, “If Italia has committed any mistake, take action in accordance with law, but the fact is BJP has started feeling that it is losing ground in Gujarat, because Arvind Kejriwal and AAP’s popularity is increasing every day, and the ruling party is not in a position to give satisfactory answers on core issues, and so to divert people’s attention, it is pulling out old video clip to fix AAP leader in false case.”
BJP media coordinator Yagnesh Dave came down heavily on Italia alleging that this showed AAP and Italia’s culture, “such a person does not have any right to live in India, who insults the Prime Minister of India,” Dave had said.
AAP Workers Gather Outside NCW Office
On Thursday, Italia said the videos he had been implicated for were not his, and had been doctored. He also blamed the BJP of ‘hating’ the Patidar society. “@NCWIndia chief is threatening to put me in jail. What can the Modi government give to Patel community other than jail. BJP hates Patidar society. I am a descendant of Sardar Patel. Not afraid of your prisons. Put me in jail,” the AAP leader said in a post on Twitter.
. @NCWIndia चीफ़ मुझे जेल में डालने की धमकी दे रही है। मोदी सरकार पटेल समाज को जेल के सिवा दे ही क्या सकती है। बीजेपी पाटीदार समाज से नफ़रत करती है। मैं सरदार पटेल का वंशज हूँ। तुम्हारी जेलों से नहीं डरता। डाल दो मुझे जेल में। इन्होंने पुलिस को भी बुला लिया है। मुजे धमका रहे है।— Gopal Italia (@Gopal_Italia) October 13, 2022
Meanwhile, NCW chief Rekha Sharma alleged that after her action, AAP workers created ruckus outside her office. The commission head later left the premises. Delhi police sources confirmed the incident, saying a large number of Aam Aadmi Party workers gathered outside the headquarters of the NCW located in Jasola.
All the @AamAadmiParty hulligons are outside my office creating ruckus. @CPDelhi @SouthwestDcp @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/7N698OAcRK— Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) October 13, 2022
The NCW later stated the manner in which the office was ‘gheraoed’ was wrong and that a complaint had been lodged in the matter.
The ‘Patidar’ Defence
The AAP has just grappled with a controversy concerning Hindu gods and goddesses, due to which the party recently removed a minister in Delhi to quell the BJP’s fury over Rajendra Pal Gautam’s comments and actions. Following the incident, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal compared his battle to Lord Krishna’s against Kansa.
But this time, the AAP seems to be standing beside Italia, a young 33-year-old leader from the politically significant Patidar community, which is a crucial votebank in the upcoming Gujarat elections.
However, according to a report by Indian Express, this is not Italia’s first brush with controversy. In January 2017, as the newly elected BJP government was settling in after a tough election battle against Patidar anger, an audio clip of Italia, then a contractual revenue clerk posted in Dhandhuka of Ahmedabad District, posing as a constable and calling then Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel to complain that the prohibition policy changes were went viral. Italia was fired after being charged with impersonation. He told The Indian Express at the time that he pretended to be a constable out of “nervousness.”
Italia had previously worked for the Gujarat Police, but as a Lok Rakshak Dal jawan on contract in Ahmedabad. He had lost his job after hurling a shoe at serving MoS (Home) Pradeepsinh Jadeja.
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