Trouble mounted for the Aam Admi Party in Gujarat after the Crime Branch on Monday filed an FIR against party state president Isudan Ghadvi for allegedly misleading people about the expenses incurred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 'Mann Ki Baat' programme. The PM's monthly radio programme completed 100 episodes on Sunday.
Ghadvi, who unsuccessfully contested the 2022 assembly elections, had tweeted that the prime minister's one-day message to the nation costs Rs 8.30 crore and went on to add that 100 episodes cost Rs 830 crore.
The Press Information Bureau took to social media to debunk Ghadvi's claim and said Rs 8.3 crore was the total figure of advertisements for 'Mann Ki Baat' so far, not for a single episode. The “tweet (by Ghadvi) assumes each episode is supported by ads. Which is false,” it added.
The AAP leader later deleted his tweet.
The FIR against Ghadvi filed by the Crime Branch in Ahmedabad, however, drew flak from the AAP with Chaitar Vasava, one of the party's five legislators in Gujarat, claiming that the BJP does not have a reply when it comes to “AAP’s politics of work”—be it in Delhi or Gujarat.
Vasava also said that the party would not bow down and will continue to fight for people’s issues.
Earlier this month, the Crime Branch in Surat had arrested AAP leader Gopal Italia for his alleged comments about BJP state president C.R. Paatil and minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi. He was later released.