The controversy over the resignation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raju Karpada escalated as party MLA Gopal Italia accused Karpada of holding a clandestine meeting with Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi in Gandhinagar and having interactions with an IPS officer while in jail.
Italia refuted Karpada’s previous claims against AAP, stating that Karpada, a former State President of AAP’s farmer wing, was influenced by pressure related to his pending criminal cases. Allegations were made that Karpada met the Gujarat Home Minister secretly and had discussions with an IPS officer during his time in jail.
Italia further alleged that Karpada’s release on bail occurred unusually late at 10 p.m., contrary to the standard 6 p.m. release time for prisoners. He insinuated that Karpada’s release timing was orchestrated due to his connections with BJP leaders.
The final hearings for two cases against Karpada were set in the Surendranagar court on the same day. Italia claimed that pressure was exerted on Karpada to make accusations against AAP and himself as per the BJP’s agenda, warning of potential consequences if he did not comply.
AAP’s frontal organization state president, Pravin Ram, disclosed his time spent with Karpada in jail and highlighted Karpada’s apprehensions about the pending cases. Ram accused the BJP of leveraging old court cases to intimidate and pressure Karpada, calling for the release of CCTV footage from Rajkot and Bhavnagar jails to reveal the truth.
