The police in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district on Tuesday arrested the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) state president Gopal Italia in connection with a case registered against him over an election meeting in Dwarka on September 2 in the run-up to the Assembly elections. He was released on bail soon after. According to a land dealer who filed the complaint, Italia compared Lord Krishna with “demons” and thus hurt his religious sentiments.
A firebrand leader who is known for his oratorical skills, Italia, a Patidar, made his electoral debut in the elections from Katargam in Surat that has been a BJP stronghold. He could manage only 27.01 per cent of votes as he lost to sitting minister Vinodbhai Amarshibhai Moradiya of the BJP who got 58.25 per cent of the votes.
Italia has often found himself in controversies and the BJP’s line of fire. He started his political career with Hardik Patel’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). He joined the AAP in 2020 in the virtual presence of Delhi minister Gopal Rai.
A native of Timbi village from Bhavnagar’s Umrala tehsil, Italia is a political science graduate. He came to the limelight in 2017 when as a government employee, he called up then Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel to complain about the “inefficient prohibition law in the state. He was then a clerk in the revenue department, posted in Dhandhuka of Saurashtra.
The phone call went viral on social media, following which Italia faced a criminal case for alleged impersonation. During the call, he had identified himself as an “LRD jawan”, something Italia said he had done “by mistake”. Italia at the time was a Lok Rakshak Dal (an equivalent of police constable) in Gujarat police. Italia courted more controversies later that year when he hurled a shoe at then Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja, alleging rampant corruption in Gujarat. The incident happened outside the state Assembly when Jadeja was about to address the media. Following the incident, Italia was dismissed from service for violation of service rules.
Soon afterwards, he developed a following among the youth. He struck a chord with people with his “Kayda Katha” initiative in different parts of the state. Derived from the concept of religious events such as Ram Katha, Kayda Katha was held to spread awareness about the Constitution and various laws concerning people and the “real” issues in their daily lives.
In the run-up to the polls, several old videos surfaced of Italia badmouthing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother, and advising women to avoid religious gatherings. The Delhi Police briefly detained him after he was summoned to the national capital by the National Commission for Women (NCW).
Asked about the frequent controversies he gets involved in, Italia told The Indian Express at the time, “These things happen from time to time, a person keeps moving forward … And if you keep digging someone’s past, toh Smriti Irani bhi gas ki bottle sar par rakh kar bahut dance kiye they, Delhi ki sadkon pe. Toh kya matlab hai ab? Kisi mahapurush ne ye bhi kaha tha ki paisa Rs 35 kar denge dollar ki barabari mein, humari sarkar bana do (Union Minister Smriti Irani too protested on the streets of Delhi once with a gas cylinder on her head. What is the meaning of all this then? A ‘great man’ promised to raise the value of the rupee to Rs 35 against a dollar if voted to power) … A person moves forward based on their experience. It is a continuous process… It is not based on a single incident, nor just two-three incidents…”
