Gujarat AAP chief Gopal Italia under fire for calling PM Modi ‘neech’, says BJP attacks him because he is a Patidar
The National Commission for Women (NCW) took cognisance of the video in which Gopal Italia allegedly used "misogynist" language and summoned him for a hearing on October 13.
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Gopal Italia claimed the Patidar community was "angry with BJP" and supporting the AAP. (Express file photo by Nirmal Harindran)Reacting to the BJP’s attack on him over a purported old video in which he allegedly called Prime Minister Narendra Modi “neech” and used “misogynist” language, Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president Gopal Italia has said he was being attacked because he was a Patidar.
“Gopal Italia is a Patel (Patidar), he was associated with the Patidar agitation before. That is why I am being attacked. BJP is an anti-Patel party,” said Italia during a press conference in Surat Monday.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took cognisance of the video based on a Twitter post by BJP Yuva Morcha national secretary Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and summoned the AAP leader for a hearing on October 13.
The NCW tweeted saying, “The abusive & indecent language used by Sh. Gopal Italia is gender biased, misogynist & condemnable”. In its letter to Italia, which was posted on its Twitter handle, the commission said that the “indecent” word Italia used for the prime minister was also “an insult to the women of our country”.
Italia claimed the Patidar community was “angry with BJP” and supporting the AAP. “So in one way or the other, they (the BJP) want to trouble Gopal Italia. BJP is an anti-Patel party. They are upset at the way the Patidars taught them a lesson in the last elections and so they hate them and are targeting me in various ways,” he said.
Asked about the authenticity of the video Italia said, “The video is not even the issue. The issues are inflation, unemployment, roads, lattha kand (Botad hooch tragedy), paper leaks, education and so on. They are left with no issue for the elections. They are making the video an issue because they want to run away from the real ones. Who am I? A common man. Send me to jail, hang me or shoot me, but answer, when the people of Gujarat will get employment, when the roads will be repaired and why the paper leaks happened.”
“This video has become the issue of such a big election? If my language is inappropriate, shoot me. I am not smart like those in the BJP, and speak like them, I am a boy from a village. These people are the children of ‘Kans’, they do lattha kand, paper leaks. They think that they can ask for votes based on a fake video from four or five years ago. They are running away from the issues, they are scared and fear that the AAP will win elections this time,” said Italia.
Senior BJP leaders have condemned the video accusing Italia of disrespecting the post of the prime minister.
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