New Delhi: From working as a constable and later a clerk, to taking part in a distinguished position within the Hardik Patel-led Patidar agitation, 33-year-old Gopal Italia — Arvind Kejriwal’s level man in poll-bound Gujarat — has come a good distance in his comparatively transient political profession.
Italia, the president of the Aam Aadmi Get together’s (AAP) Gujarat unit, was detained Thursday by the Delhi Police from exterior the workplace of the Nationwide Fee for Ladies (NCW) within the nationwide capital, the place he had been summoned in reference to a video of him allegedly utilizing “abusive and indecent language” in opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was later launched after remaining in detention for 3 hours.
NCW chief Rekha Sharma stated she sought police motion in opposition to Italia after “100-150” of his supporters gathered exterior the NCW workplace Thursday.
Whereas Italia claimed the NCW chief “threatened” to place him in jail, Sharma said his verbal reply to the fee didn’t match his written statements in regards to the alleged remarks.
Italia confronted controversy after two undated movies of him surfaced earlier this week. In a single, he’s allegedly heard making remarks about Modi that the NCW chief dubbed “gender-biased, misogynist and condemnable”. Within the second, he’s allegedly seen interesting to Hindu ladies to not go to temples, terming them “locations of exploitation”.
Whereas the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) has drawn on his supposed remarks to coach its weapons at AAP, the latter claims he’s being focused for 2 causes — his “Patel id” and “AAP’s rising reputation” in poll-bound Gujarat.
Though he joined the social gathering in 2020, Italia is now spearheading AAP’s marketing campaign in Gujarat. He’s taking part in a key position in candidate choice, fundraising, organisation of public conferences and growth of the volunteer base, in accordance with sources in AAP.
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Constable-turned-politician
Italia joined the Lokrakshak Dal — a unit of the Gujarat Police — as a constable in Ahmedabad in 2013, however at all times aspired to maneuver forward in life, stated a Gujarat-based AAP functionary who didn’t want to be named.
In 2014, he received a job within the state income division as a clerk on the Ahmedabad collectorate — a job he held till his dismissal in 2017. It was throughout his stint with the income division that Italia emerged as a key determine within the Patidar reservation agitation led by Hardik Patel, which started in 2015 and took Gujarat by storm.
Arvind Kejriwal had “noticed expertise in Italia” through the latter’s agitation days, stated a senior Delhi-based AAP chief, recalling a time when the social gathering was nonetheless struggling to arrange its organisational base exterior Delhi.
“He [Italia] was near Hardik Patel. However it’s attention-grabbing how they stand on reverse sides of the fence right this moment,” stated the chief, in an obvious reference to how Italia joined AAP and Patel — after a three-year stint with the Congress — joined the BJP in June this yr.
Dialled Deputy CM, hurled shoe at minister
Italia shot to fame in 2017 when he, as a authorities worker, dialled then Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel to register his reservations in regards to the state’s prohibition legislation.
A recording of the dialog went viral and Italia was booked on costs of impersonation for figuring out himself as an “LRD (Lokrakshak Dal) jawan” on the decision regardless of having give up the police drive in 2014.
Later that yr, Italia made headlines for hurling a shoe at then Gujarat minister Pradipsinh Jadeja exterior the legislative meeting, alleging rampant corruption within the state. After the incident, he was dismissed from the income division for violating service guidelines.
Dismissed from his authorities job, Italia grew to become a social employee.
“He was at all times vocal in opposition to the caste system, hierarchies in Hindu temples and occasions comparable to Ram Katha. He began a motion referred to as Kayda Katha in 2018, travelling to villages throughout the state and fascinating with the general public on the Structure. It helped him construct a powerful assist base on the grassroots,” stated the Gujarat-based AAP functionary.
Quickly after becoming a member of AAP in 2020, Italia was appointed vice-president of the social gathering’s Gujarat unit and rose by way of the ranks to develop into state president. He has been the face of the social gathering in Gujarat for 2 years now.
Underneath his management, AAP gained 27 seats within the Surat municipal polls final yr.
Earlier this yr, he was arrested and spent 10 days in jail for taking part in a protest to demand the removing of BJP chief and former Ahmedabad mayor Asit Vora as chairman of the Gujarat Subordinate Service Choice Board (GSSSB), which conducts recruitment for some posts below the state authorities. This was over a recruitment examination held by the board that was cancelled in December 2021 after a paper leak.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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