Gujarat AAP throws weight behind MLA Chaitar Vasava, says he could get LS poll ticket, BJP conspired against him

Speaking to mediapersons, AAP state president Isudan Gadhvi said, “We will be putting up a strong fight in the Lok Sabha elections and Chaitar Vasava is a strong contender (for a Lok Sabha ticket). Though our core-committee is yet to finalise the names of candidates, I, as party president, would like to say that AAP could give a Lok Sabha ticket to Chaitarbhai. As per our survey, he is winning and so the BJP has conspired against him.”

Gadhvi added that Vasava is not just expected to win a Lok Sabha seat, but is also expected to exert significant influence on other tribal seats in Gujarat.

“Today, Chaitarbhai is the hero of the entire tribal community. He exerts his influence in all tribal seats. So, (this has been done) to ensure that he does not step out to campaign (for Lok Sabha polls) and remains in jail,” he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged a “false case” has been lodged against Vasava and, the BJP government in the state has launched an “attack” on the entire tribal community by targeting him.

भाजपा ने कल “आप” के विधायक और आदिवासी समाज के बड़े नेता @Chaitar_Vasava के ख़िलाफ़ झूठा मुक़दमा किया। चैतर भाई की धर्मपत्नी तक को गिरफ़्तार कर लिया

भाजपा ने कभी आदिवासी को आगे नहीं आने दिया। सिर्फ़ उनका शोषण किया। “आप” ने आदिवासी समाज के बेटे को आगे बढ़ाया तो भाजपा को बर्दाश्त… https://t.co/OypVXQgR3M

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 4, 2023

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In a post on X, Kejriwal, who is the national convenor of AAP, said: “Yesterday, BJP filed a false case against AAP MLA and a big leader of the tribal community, Chaitar Vasava. Even his wife was arrested. BJP never allowed the tribals to come forward. Just exploited them. BJP couldn’t tolerate that AAP promoted the son of the tribal community. BJP has launched this attack not on Chaitra Vasava but on the entire tribal society.”

Asked if there is a possibility of Vasava leaving AAP and joining BJP, Gadhvi said, “It seems BJP is trying to pressurise Chaitarbhai from all four sides. Not just Chaitarbhai, it seems there is similar pressure on a lot of our leaders. BJP is on a backfoot on all the tribal seats.”

Displaying copies of the FIR lodged against Vasava, Gadhvi said that despite the incident happening on October 30, an FIR was registerted only on November 2. He added that Chaitar had intervened on behalf of two tribal farmers after forest department officials destroyed their standing cotton crop on land where they had permission to do agriculture.

“The forest officials not only paid compensation of Rs 30,000 to each of the farmers, but also clicked photographs with them. Thereafter, it seems some senior BJP leader intervened, hatched a conspiracy and got a fake FIR lodged against our MLA. If the MLA had fired from a weapon, as claimed in the FIR, where is the empty cartridge? Why has it not been recovered?” Gadhvi said.

Senior AAP leader Atishi told mediapersons that Vasava faced an FIR because he “raised his voice” for tribal farmers. “The anti-tribal BJP in Gujarat registered a fake case against Vasava because he raised his voice for tribal farmers and arrested his wife to put pressure on him,” she said.

“Vasava is a son of Gujarat’s tribal community and the BJP is attempting to suppress his voice. The entire tribal community in Gujarat will respond to this false case. For years, the BJP has ruled in Gujarat without letting any tribal leader rise… now they’re attempting to silence Vasava,” she added.

The BJP knows that the whole tribal community will stand with Vasava in the upcoming elections, that is why a “false case has been registered”, she said.

(With inputs from PTI)