48 days after arrest, Gujarat AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava walks out of jail; set to move HC against bail conditions

“My family and I were harassed as part of a political conspiracy. My wife Shakuntala has been in prison for the last three months. I accepted the bail conditions that have been put forth by the court. But in the days to come, we will approach the High Court to appeal against some of the conditions… We (My wife and I) were to come out together but it was the appeal of the people that since the (Gujarat) Assembly session has begun, I must accept the bail and come out of jail to raise questions of the people. I respect the request of the people and so I have come out of the prison. I will continue to fight for the rights of the people and raise the questions,” he told reporters.

Outside the Rajpipla sub-jail, he was greeted by his second wife Varsha, his three children, and AAP Gujarat chief Isudan Gadhvi, AAP national joint secretary Gopal Italia among other party leaders.

He added that the bail conditions prohibiting him from entering Narmada District were “disappointing”. “I am a people’s representative and the voters have elected me as MLA. It is disappointing that a people’s representative has been prohibited from entering his home territory. For now, we will respect the decision of the court that has prohibited me from staying in Narmada and Bharuch. So my new address will be the MLA quarters in Gandhinagar,” he said.

Reacting to police calling him a “history-sheeter” and “criminal” in their remand applications, the AAP leader said, “The Forest Department filed a complaint against me after four days… There are no facts and evidence in the complaint yet. They claim that I am a criminal history-sheeter and I cause damage to property and people. If the same people have elected me as their representative, who can I cause damage to? The BJP has created these narratives but truth will win eventually.”

Chaitar said he is prepared to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Bharuch with all his “strength” but he would also “respect any decision” taken by the INDIA bloc on seat-sharing with Congress in Gujarat. “My national leader Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann came in my support and met me. When my leader has asked me to contest the elections, I will fight the polls with all my strength and even win… The seat-sharing will be decided by the national leaders of 28 parties (of the India bloc),” he asserted.

Reacting to the buzz over the likelihood of late Congress veteran Ahmed Patel’s daughter, Mumtaaz, contesting from the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat, he added, “Mumtaaz is the daughter of Ahmed Patelji and is working for the people. Naturally, she wants to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Whatever the coalition decides, we will follow that…”