Isudan Gadhvi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader in Gujarat, was in for a shock when a forensic report found traces of alcohol in his blood, after he was arrested by the State police for protesting at the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) headquarters in Gandhinagar on December 20. Two BJP women members said in their complaint to the police that Mr. Gadhvi and others had showed up drunk — a crime in Gujarat. On January 2, the Gujarat police slapped additional Sections — 66(1)(b) and 85 (1) under the Gujarat Prohibition Act — against Mr. Gadhvi after it received a forensic report that his blood sample had 0.0545 w/v (weight per volume) alcohol concentration. The permissible limit is 0.05 w/v.
Mr. Gadhvi says he has been a teetotaler all his life, and was framed — bringing to the fore a new question of policing political protests. The use of the sedition law and UAPA against political opponents of governments remains hugely controversial in India. “I am dismayed at the forensic report. I have filed an application with the police station to preserve the blood sample, I want to get it checked from an independent agency. The police, at the behest of the ruling party, is trying to tarnish my image and foist false cases against me because I joined AAP,” he said.
