Gopal Italia: A junior cop who rose in political ranks to head AAP in Gujarat
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Gujarat chief Gopal Italia was detained by the Delhi Police on Thursday following his interrogation by the National Commission for Women officials.
Before coming to politics, Italia had a controversial past of activism. Hailing from Botad in Gujarat, he graduated in Political science from Gujarat University. Before entering into Politics, he worked as a Lok Rakshak Dal constable at Madhupura Police Station in 2013.
In 2017, Italia, then a contractual revenue clerk posted in Dhandhuka of Ahmedabad District, came into the limelight after an audio clip went viral in which he called the then Deputy CM of Gujarat impersonating a police constable and complained to him about the open violation of the alcohol prohibition policy in the state and the alleged collusion of public servants.
He was later arrested by the crime branch. In the same year, he hurled a shoe at the Minister of State (Home) Pradip Sinha Jadeja in the Gujarat assembly, which led to his suspension. In 2018, he joined the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), a group of Patidar leaders that played a key role in the Patel reservation agitation in Gujarat in 2015.
The 33-year-old then joined AAP in June 2020 as a state vice president. Five months later, he was promoted as the state party president. AAP Gujarat made their debut in their local body elections in February 2021. They have won 27 seats in the Surat Municipal Corporation and one in the Gandhi Nagar Election.