Gopal Italia slammed Harish Khurana, asking if he even considered the legacy of his late father, ex-Delhi CM Madan Lal Khurana, before his actions.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Italia on Wednesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Harish Khurana, saying he was “no better than a petty troll” for sharing an alleged AI-edited photo and linking him to Rajesh Sakariya, the attacker of Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.
He questioned whether Khurana considered the honour of his late father, former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana, before engaging in such actions.
Italia alleged that the BJP was frustrated over his by-election win in Visavadar of Gujarat, and was trying to malign him, AAP, and party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
“Ever since I won as an MLA from Visavadar, the BJP has been upset and angry. They cannot digest that a young man from a non-political background, from a new party like AAP, won against them. Out of frustration, they are trying to malign me, my party, and our leader, Arvind Kejriwal,” Italia said in a video message.
“We come from the people; they are our strength. BJP keeps resorting to crooked methods to defame us. The behaviour of a BJP leader from Delhi is extremely shameful, disgraceful, and wrong,” he added.
Addressing Khurana directly, Italia said, “By editing an old video of mine and adding another man’s photo, what are you trying to show? Would your father, who earned respect through hard work, be happy to see his son spreading fake news?”
He urged media and BJP leaders to verify facts before sharing or broadcasting unverified claims.
“Do not run news based on this petty troll’s tweet. I will be forced to take legal action if this continues,” Italia warned.
The controversy arose after Khurana shared a social media post claiming Italia was linked to the attacker. Italia denied the claim, saying the photo was AI-generated from an old video, and shared the original video as proof.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police have booked Rajesh Sakariya under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempt to murder. Police said he is a “serial offender” with multiple past cases in Gujarat, many ending in acquittal.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
