Amid controversy surrounding Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Italia. Union Minister Anurag Thakur has taken a dig at both Congress and the AAP on Saturday. The BJP leader alleged earlier an "Italian woman" used to "insult" Prime Minister Narendra Modi now "an Italia is insulting his mother".
Though he did not name either, the apparent targets of his tirade during election rallies in Gujarat were Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was born in Italy, and the AAP's Gujarat unit head Gopal Italia.
He also claimed there is a "huge BJP wave" in Gujarat and "this time we are going to break all previous records".
He addressed three public meetings in Surendranagar and Wadhwa in the poll-bound state, launching fierce attacks on the Congress and the AAP.
"Earlier an Italian woman used to insult Prime Minister Narendra Modi now an Italia is insulting his mother," said the minister of youth affairs and sports. Gujarat did not accept this "insult" earlier it will not accept it now, he said. "Gujarat will give a befitting reply."
Italia under fire
The AAP's Gujarat president has been under the BJP fire for the past few days over his comments.
Italia was on Thursday detained for nearly three hours by the Delhi Police after he appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with his alleged comments against Modi. In an old video that emerged on Thursday, Italia is purportedly heard mocking Modi's 100-year-old mother Hiraba.
The BJP is organising 'Gujarat Gaurav Yatra' from October 12 to October 20 on five routes. BJP national president JP Nadda flagged off two routes on October 12, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off three routes the next day.
Gujarat Gaurav Yatra' was also taken out by the party in 2002 under the leadership of then chief minister Narendra Modi, and then before the assembly elections in 2017.
This time, the 5,734-km Yatra aims to cover 144 of the state's 182 assembly constituencies during which more than 145 public meetings will be held.
Describing Gujarat as the model of development for the whole of India, Thakur said, "With the blessings of the people here, Modi ji came to power in 2014 and 2019 with path-breaking majority. In 2024 also, Narendra Modi ji is going to come with 400-plus seats"
The BJP on Saturday released another old video of Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Italia where he is purportedly heard denouncing religion.
Sharing the video on Twitter, state BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave juxtaposed it with recent photographs of Italia sitting at the feet of religious leaders and visiting temples.
The ruling party has been targeting the Gujarat AAP chief by digging up his old videos ahead of Assembly elections in the state.
In the latest video, Italia is purportedly heard saying that "the possibility of a man's welfare through religion is over."
"Religion means business, power, glory, luxury and the tendency to keep men backward," he adds.
In another video shared by Gujarat BJP on Friday, Italia is purportedly heard saying, "We go to these sadhus for seeking solution to our problems but they are fake....They conduct `kathas' (religious discourses) in the country and abroad but has anyone been reformed? They have looted a lot."
Dave said someone with such views was now bowing his head in temples.
"Time teaches a man a lot," he said in a tweet.
Reacting to the latest salvo by the BJP, Italia said on Twitter that if it thought he would be defamed or silenced with such videos, it was harbouring a misconception.
The AAP leader had said earlier that the BJP was targeting him because he belongs to the Patidar community and the saffron party could not bear to see a Patidar youth becoming a political leader.
The BJP had slammed him earlier this week over another video where he purportedly made a derogatory reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was also summoned by the National Commission for Women.
Having projected itself as the main contender against the BJP which has ruled Gujarat for 27 years, AAP has been campaigning aggressively in the poll-bound state.
(With inputs from PTI)
