Gujarat: AAP Chief Gopal Italia Arrested For 'Hurting Religious Sentiments', Gets Bail

The case involves a statement he made at a Dwarka campaign rally. In the case, the complainant said that Italia said something offensive about Lord Krishna.

AAP Gujrat State convenor Gopal Italia addresses a press conference at party office.

Source : File Photo/PTI

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state chief Gopal Italia was arrested by the Bhavnagar police in an alleged case of hurting religious sentiments, and later got bail, reported news agency PTI. According to district Superintendent of Police Ravindra Patel, the case was filed on September 4, 2022, at Umarala police station in the Bhavnagar district under section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (outraging religious feelings).

He went on to say that following his arrest, Italia was granted bail right there at the police station.

The case involves a statement he made at a Dwarka campaign rally. In the case, the complainant said that Italia said something offensive about Lord Krishna.

Italia accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of acting like a dictator after it returned to power earlier this month, speaking to reporters following his bail release.

"There is an attempt to break and harass us and weaken the Aam Aadmi Party," he said.

गुजरात की जनता द्वारा भ्रष्ट भाजपा को दिए पूर्ण बहुमत की नई सरकार ने काम करना चालू कर दिया है।

भावनगर पुलिस ने आज मुझे गिरफ़्तार कीया। मेरी ख़ुद की दादी माँ का कल निधन हुआ है, पूरा परिवार दुःखी है लेकिन भाजपा ने मुझे अरेस्ट कर लिया है। शायद यही काम के लिए बहुमत मिला होगा।

— Gopal Italia (@Gopal_Italia) December 20, 2022

"Bhavnagar police arrested me today. My own grandmother passed away yesterday, the whole family is sad but the BJP has arrested me. Perhaps it got the majority for doing this work," he later tweeted in Hindi.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, AAP could only win five seats. Italia, who ran for the seat of Katargam in the city of Surat, lost.

(With PTI Inputs)