AAP Gujarat chief Gopal Italia calls PM Modi a 'neech aadmi'; BJP hits back

New Delhi: A video of AAP Gujarat unit chief Gopal Italia is doing rounds on social media platforms in which he is heard calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "neech aadmi" (a lowly person). In the undated clip, he purportedly berates Modi for enacting a "drama" to attract votes and then goes on to use the term "neech aadmi" to describe him. He also allegedly half uses another abusive term to claim the PM was making a "fool" of citizens.

"Elections are going on. Has any PM in the past taken out a roadshow and put up an act before casting his or her vote? The 'neech' person is doing a roadshow here and showing how he can take the whole country for a ride," Italia can be heard saying.

It has been reported that the video is from 2019 and was made during the run-up to the general elections.

The video was also shared by BJP's IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya on Sunday, who said that using such profanities and abusing Gujarat’s pride and son of the soil is "an insult to every Gujarati".

Just as offensive it is to call the Prime Minister “नीच”, it is equally disrespectful to use the “C” word, as it is hugely disrespectful and abusive towards women. It is an insult to India’s Nari Shakti. People won’t forgive AAP and Arvind Kejriwal for it… https://t.co/ktbsWk8w5r — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 9, 2022

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also hit out at Arvind Kejriwal's AAP and said that the kind of language used by Italia for Prime Minister "exposes AAP and shows what is their intention."

He asserted that no Prime Minister can be called "neech admi" as "all Prime Ministers are democratically elected". 

"...And calling them neech aadmi (lowly person) is an insult to democratic process of India and parliamentary process of the country," Patra said.

गोपाल इटालिया, जो आप गुजरात के अध्यक्ष है,

उनके द्वारा प्रधानमंत्री मोदी जी के लिए ‘नीच’ जैसे अभद्र भाषा का प्रयोग करना यह आम आदमी पार्टी की घृणित मानसिकता को दर्शाता है तथा इससे उनकी मंशा भी उजागर होती है। pic.twitter.com/bI3aMQdkJb — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) October 10, 2022

अरविंद केजरीवाल के लिए -

गुजराती ‘नीच’ और देश की जनता ‘C’ है।

गुजरात और देशवासियों के लिए अरविंद केजरीवाल और आम आदमी पार्टी की यह घृणित मानसिकता उनके मंशा को दर्शाता है। pic.twitter.com/ffBceJMyeY — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) October 10, 2022

Stating that AAP will face the same fate as Congress did after its leader Mani Shankar Aiyar used the same invective for Modi, he said, "Prime Minister Modi hails from Gujarat and using such remarks against him is an insult of Gujarat too."

मणिशंकर अय्यर की भाषा का नतीजा ये रहा कि कांग्रेस पूरी तरह से गुजरात में समाप्त हो गई।

पूरे देश में कांग्रेस का चुनाव में जो हाल हुआ है, उसे सबने देखा है।

आज ठीक उसी प्रकार की भाषा का प्रयोग अरविंद केजरीवाल और उनकी पार्टी भी कर रही हैं। pic.twitter.com/Ze60Sg0sFD

— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) October 10, 2022

अरविंद केजरीवाल वहीं नेता है जिन्होंने -

प्रधानमंत्री मोदी जी के लिए ‘coward’ और ‘psycopath’ जैसे शब्दों का प्रयोग किया था। आज उनके नेता भी अपने गुरु अरविंद केजरीवाल को फॉलो कर रहे हैं। pic.twitter.com/MRNqIRstOX — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) October 10, 2022

प्रधानमंत्री मोदी के लिए अपमानजनक शब्दों का प्रयोग करना यह देश के गरीब, पिछड़ें एवं वंचित समाज के लोगों का तथा देश की लोकतांत्रिक प्रक्रिया का अपमान है। pic.twitter.com/tctpdMftPe — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) October 10, 2022

"Everyone has seen the condition of Congress in the entire country. Arvind Kejriwal is using the exact same language today," he said.

Gujarat has been a stronghold of the BJP, where it has been in power for nearly three decades, and AAP has been trying to make inroads in the state by positioning itself as the main challenger to the saffron party.

The elections in the state are scheduled to be held later this year.

(With agency inputs)