Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann visited the incarcerated AAP MLA, Chaitar Vasava, in Rajpipla jail, Gujarat, on Monday. Both leaders criticised the BJP, stating that its "authoritarianism" has reached its peak, news agency PTI reported.
On Sunday, Kejriwal and Mann participated in a rally in support of Vasava in Netrang, a tribal area in Gujarat's Bharuch district. During the rally, Kejriwal announced that Vasava would contest the upcoming general elections as the AAP's candidate for the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat, presently held by former Union minister Mansukh Vasava of the BJP. Chaitar Vasava currently serves as the MLA for Dediapada in Narmada district.
Vasava was detained on December 14, 2023, for allegedly intimidating forest officials and firing shots while attempting to address a land cultivation dispute involving local tribals in Narmada district. His wife, Shakuntalaben, also faces charges in the same case.
Following their meeting with Vasava at the Rajpipla jail, Kejriwal told reporters, "Chaitar Vasava and Shakuntalaben are in good health and high spirits. Their incarceration stems from championing public issues. The public's response to their arrest shows mounting discontent against the BJP's actions in Gujarat," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
Mann echoed Kejriwal's sentiments, asserting that the BJP's treatment of individuals advocating for public welfare poses a national challenge. Mann alleged, "Popular figures who serve the public interest are unjustly incarcerated under fabricated charges by agencies like the ED and CBI. This pattern of authoritarianism is unsustainable," PTI quoted him as saying.
He further commented on the public's reaction at Sunday's rally, interpreting it as a sign of the tribal community's strong displeasure towards Vasava's arrest.
Chaitar Vasava was among the five AAP MLAs elected in Gujarat's 2022 assembly polls. Notably, Bhupendra Bhayani, representing the Visavadar constituency, resigned from his post on December 12, 2023.