From mocking PM to inducting minor as party worker, AAP’s Gopal Italia has been constantly embroiled in controversy

AAP Gujarat chief Gopal Italia finds himself amid a blazing row after insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother and the prime minister himself.

Italia was on Thursday detained by Delhi Police after he appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) for his alleged comments amid protests by party members outside the women’s panel’s office.

But who is Italia? Let’s take a closer look:

Italia was in 2020 appointed the state convenor of Aam Aadmi Party, Gujarat.

AAP Gujarat is emerging as a strong alternative in Gujarat. AAP is going to contest on all seats in upcoming local elections. Youth leader Gopal Italia has been announced as state convener of AAP Gujarat," the AAP Gujarat had tweeted.

He was earlier AAP’s vice-president for Gujarat, as per News18.

The party in a Facebook post called Italia ‘popular among youth’ and known for ‘commendable work against corruption’.

Italia, a former state government clerk posted at the office of Dhandhuka taluka Sub-Divisional Magistrate under Ahmedabad collectorate, has been embroiled in his fair share of controversies.

Let’s take a closer look:

Controversy’s child

In August, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in a letter to Gujarat DGP sought action against Italia, alleging that he Isudan Gadhvi, a leader of Aam Aadmi Party, Gujarat, used a minor boy for political gain.

“It is mentioned in the complaint that the minor has been recruited as a worker in the said political party and is being used for protests and child labour for political gains. It is further mentioned in the complaint that the minor has been used by the party to further influence other people to join the party,” the child rights body said.

It said that the complainant has also provided various social media links of AAP’s official handles with content posted by the minor along with his complaint, proving the contents of the complaint.

The Commission said that in employing a minor, the party violated certain provisions under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The Commission thereby requests your good offices to look into the matter and have a thorough inquiry of the events and take necessary legal action.

“An Action Taken Report may be submitted to the Commission within 3 days of receipt of this letter,” it said.

Italia was in 2021 granted bail after surrendered before the police in a case related to unlawful assembly and a scuffle during a public meeting attended by the party’s MLA from Delhi including Atishi.

Italia was granted the regular bail by the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate RB Marfatiya on a bond of Rs 10,000.

An FIR was registered against Italia and three others with Gujarat University police station in Ahmedbabad under sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to public servant), 143 (unlawful assembly), 146 (violence by an unlawful assembly), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, AAP had said.

Italia had in 2017 hurled a shoe at then Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja alleging corruption in the state government.

The incident occurred on 2 March, 2017, as Jadeja was preparing to address the media. The shoe had missed its target.

Italia at the time was a state government clerk.

Italia was in 2017 arrested by the Ahmedabad crime branch for allegedly impersonating a police constable while calling the deputy chief minister Nitin Patel and circulating audio clips of the conversation on social media.

Italia told the police he had resigned as a constable in 2015, as per News18.

‘Why is entire BJP after Italia?

Reacting to police action against the AAP leader, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said Italia’s detention had triggered massive anger in the Patel community across Gujarat.

Taking to Twitter, the AAP national convenor also asked why “entire BJP” was after Italia.

Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia termed Italia’s detention as “BJP politics” and alleged that he had been detained because he belonged to a party that knew how to transform schools.

NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma had summoned Italia for using “abusive and indecent language” against PM Modi and said his comment was “gender biased, misogynist and condemnable”.

She told reporters after the hearing that Italia had claimed that he was not the person in the video in a verbal statement.

However, in his written response, he said he did not mean it.

An NCW official said the commission had to rush to arrange a translator to record Italia’s statement as he started speaking in Gujarati in the middle of the hearing.

While NCW officials said the AAP’s Gujarat chief was detained for “creating a situation that disrupted law and order in the area”, a senior Delhi Police officer, while confirming his detention, did not divulge further details.

During the hearing, the AAP supporters protesting outside tried to enter the NCW building and police had to be called to restrain them, an official of the women’s rights body said.

“As of now, he has been detained,” a senior police officer said.

“Those who are detaining Gopal Italia have only that much understanding of politics. They don’t know how to improve (standards of) schools, teach students.

“They couldn’t make even one amazing school while being in government for the last 27 years,” Sisodia said when asked for comment on Italia’s detention.

“They arrested Gopal Italia because he comes from a party that knows reforming schools, rest is nothing but politics,” he charged.

The BJP’s IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya had on Sunday shared a video on Twitter where Italia could be heard calling Modi a “neech aadmi” (lowly person) following which the NCW took cognisance.

“An indecent word for the prime minister is also an insult to the women of our country. The abusive language used by you is gender biased, misogynistic and extremely shameful, condemnable and unbecoming of you,” the NCW had said in its summons issued on 9 October.

The AAP on Monday defended its Gujarat unit chief over his alleged remarks and hit back at the BJP, saying it was using an old video to target Italia now as he hailed from a poor family and belonged to the Patidaar community.

Launching a counter attack, the AAP also shared a purported video of BJP MP Parvesh Verma in which he could be heard using certain derogatory words against Kejriwal and demanded that the saffron party either clarify its stand on the remarks or take action against him.

With inputs from agencies

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