Just days after its crushing defeat in the Visavadar by-election, the BJP has responded with political vengeance by arresting AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava—an act that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has slammed as a desperate and authoritarian attempt to silence whistleblowers. AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai, Sah-Prabhari Durgesh Pathak, and state president Isudan Gadhvi have condemned the arrest, calling it retribution for Vasava’s relentless exposure of BJP’s corruption.
The AAP pointed out that the BJP first unleashed goons on the MLA, and when he went to file a police complaint, the Gujarat Police—acting under political pressure—booked and arrested him instead. AAP has declared it will not be intimidated by such tactics and vowed to continue exposing BJP’s misdeeds before the people of Gujarat.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal took to ‘X’ and wrote, “BJP has arrested AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava in Gujarat. After losing the Visavadar by-election to AAP, the BJP is rattled. If they think such arrests will intimidate AAP, they are making a huge mistake. The people of Gujarat are fed up with BJP’s misgovernance, goondaism, and dictatorship. Now, the people will give BJP a fitting reply.”
Meanwhile, AAP Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai stated on ‘X’, “The arrest of AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava by the BJP in Gujarat is shameful. Rattled by their defeat in the Visavadar by-election, the BJP is resorting to such desperate tactics. If they think AAP will be intimidated by this, they are gravely mistaken. The people of Gujarat are fed up with BJP’s oppression, goondaism, and dictatorship — and they will now deliver a strong and decisive reply.”
On the other hand, senior AAP leader and Gujarat Sah-Prabhari Durgesh Pathak posted on ‘X’ stating, “Whenever BJP is afraid, it brings the police forward. When AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava exposed the corruption of BJP leaders, a panicked BJP immediately pushed the police forward.”
“But remember — leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party neither fear your dictatorship, nor bow down to your police threats. If you use the police to protect the corrupt, then the people will take to the streets and tear off your mask. Now the public understands your tricks — we will neither fear, nor bow — now we will only fight,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Gujarat State President Isudan Gadhvi stated, “Since the BJP lost the Visavadar election, the party has completely lost its mind. Ever since their defeat, BJP leaders have been orchestrating attacks on our MLAs. Today, Chaitar Vasava had gone to attend a tehsil-level coordination meeting. There, he raised the issue of corruption and questioned the presence of people in the committee who were not officially nominated by the BJP. He exposed how BJP ministers embezzled crores of rupees meant for the poor and tribal community under the MNREGA scheme. He ensured that the minister’s sons involved were sent to jail — and this, BJP has not been able to tolerate.”
Highlighting BJP’s use of state machinery to silence voices, Isudan Gadhvi added, “After exposing their corruption, BJP is now getting Chaitar Vasava attacked. When Chaitar Vasava himself went to the police station to file an FIR, not only did the police refuse to register his complaint, but acting on BJP’s instructions, they lodged an FIR against him instead — and even took him into custody. What is going on in Gujarat? Democracy is under full-blown attack.”
Calling it an assault on tribal voices, Isudan Gadhvi said, “This is not just about Chaitar Vasava’s arrest. If an elected MLA is being silenced for raising the voice of tribals, it clearly reflects BJP’s anti-tribal policies. And if this is the treatment meted out to MLAs, imagine what BJP must be doing to the common people. These are the issues we are going to raise.”
