In a surprising turn of events, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Gujarat state president Gopal Italia has been promoted to the post of head constable by the Gujarat government’s home department.
This information was given by Gopal Italia himself through a tweet on social media platform X, that also carries the screenshot of the government notice as evidence. Italia, on a sarcastic note, congratulated Minister of State for Home Affairs Harsh Sanghvi for this goof-up and state of affairs in Gujarat.
Italia quit his job as a police constable in 2015 before joining politics. Despite this, Gopal Italia has found his name in the list of promotions that places him from constable to head constable post as notified by the state police department. This post of Gopal Italia has become viral on social media.
Taking a jibe at Sanghvi, Italia joked on the lapse of the
Home Department of the state, calling this Harsh Sanghvi’s black magic. “Kalajadu of eight pass Harsh Sanghvi, despite resigning from Gujarat Police in the year 2015 … I thank eight pass Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi for including my name in number 726 in the promotion list from constable to head constable in 2024,” Italia tweeted in Gujarati.
The list of promotions from constable to head constable was announced by Ahmedabad City Police, which also includes Gopal Italia, 9 years after he left job. Italia said in the post, “If Gopal Italia’s name is in the police list for so many years even after resigning, then has anyone taken salary in the name of Gopal Italia for so many years?”
Italia also posted the notice of the Joint Commissioner of Ahmedabad Police, in which his name is visible on 726 number on page number 21, showing his promotion to head constable.
There was no immediate response from the Gujarat Police on this. The opposition is already attacking the government over ghostly (only on paper) teachers in the state after several such cases surfacing in recent times.
Now this lapse of the home department has given an opportunity for the AAP to corner the government. Gopal Italia joined politics after working as a constable and clerk in Gujarat. He had been the state president for a long time, now he is in-charge of Maharashtra AAP. Italia had also contested the 2022 elections from an assembly seat in Surat, though he lost to Vinoo Mordia. It was under Italia’s leadership that AAP won five seats in Gujarat.
