Gujarat AAP chief Gopal Italia was arrested and released on bail
Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Italia has been arrested by the Surat Crime Branch over his controversial comments on state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi at a rally before the Gujarat election in November last year. He was granted bail soon after he was arrested.
Mr Italia, who was propped up by party chief Arvind Kejriwal as one of the key leaders of the AAP in the Gujarat election, had taken a swipe at the state Home Minister as "Drugs Sanghavi", according to a first information report (FIR) filed by a BJP worker.
The complaint said Mr Italia defamed a respectful person.
Mr Kejriwal tweeted that the BJP, "shocked" with the AAP's performance in the Gujarat election, arrested Mr Italia.
"The BJP is so shocked by the spectacular performance of the Aam Aadmi Party in Gujarat that it has now arrested our Gujarat leader Gopal Italia. Now BJP has only one aim, how to finish Aam Aadmi Party. These people will put everyone in jail one by one," the Delhi Chief Minister tweeted, a day after he was questioned for nearly nine hours by the Central Bureau of Investigation as a witness in a case of alleged corruption in framing Delhi's liquor policy. His ex deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested last month in the same case.
Mr Italia also tweeted the "BJP is scared" in Gujarat. "Ever since the Aam Aadmi Party has shown its strength in Gujarat... the corrupt BJP wants to finish the Aam Aadmi Party. We are not afraid of jail or trial. We will keep fighting anyway, we will win," he said.
The AAP won only five seats in the 182-member Gujarat assembly. Mr Italia, who contested from Katargam seat in Surat , was himself defeated.
The AAP, however, maintains its performance in Gujarat was not bad, considering it managed to enter the state and make its presence felt. The AAP also recently got a "national party" status.