Kejriwal described world's legendary cricketer Virat Kohli as the son of 'Koli community'. It is surprising that the person who himself was the Chief Minister of Delhi for years could not recognize the biggest poster boy of Delhi! When Arvind Kejriwal enthusiastically called Virat Kohli the son of Koli community from the stage of Bhavnagar, even the listeners were stunned. Virat, who became the king of the world by playing in the streets of Delhi, who is a purely Punjabi Khatri, to fit him into the electoral equations of Gujarat, Kejriwal changed his caste overnight. This 'factual error' of the former Chief Minister of Delhi sparked such a political battle in the Gujarat Assembly that Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi took charge.
Sanghvi took the lead and surrounded AAP MLA Chaitra Vasava in the assembly and taunted him by asking him to 'make your leader understand'. The similarity of one word drew a line between 'Punjabi Khatri' and 'Koli of Gujarat' community, on which Gujarat politics is now heated. This entire controversy is a perfect example of being caught between words and political gain:
1. little knowledge or electoral mathematics: Koli community is a big vote bank in Gujarat. Kejriwal's statement in that program in Bhavnagar was probably an attempt to connect with the community but ignoring the facts proved costly. Virat Kohli is a Punjabi Khatri while the 'Koli' community of Gujarat has a completely different social and geographical identity.
2. Assembly siege: Deputy CM Harsh Sanghvi took advantage of this opportunity and linked it to the credibility of Chaitra Vasava and AAP. BJP is trying to give the message that outside leaders are making statements without understanding the social structure of Gujarat.
3. Name confusion: 'Kohli' and 'Koli' may sound similar but they have different histories. Bhagwant Mann had given the correct reference to Vikram Solanki but Kejriwal brought it under the ambit of fact check by adding Virat.
question Answer
[q] What controversial statement did Arvind Kejriwal give regarding Virat Kohli in Bhavnagar? [/q]
[ans] During a mass marriage ceremony of Koli community in Bhavnagar, Arvind Kejriwal described Indian cricketer Virat Kohli as a part of 'Koli community', after which questions were raised on his historical and social knowledge. [/ans]
[q] Which community and background does Virat Kohli actually belong to? [/q]
[ans] Virat Kohli is originally from Delhi and comes from the 'Punjabi Khatri' community. They have no ethnic connection with the 'Koli' community of Gujarat, which is mainly found in Gujarat and Maharashtra. [/ans]
[q] How did Deputy CM Harsh Sanghvi corner Aam Aadmi Party on this issue in Gujarat Assembly? [/q]
[ans] Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi took a dig at AAP MLA Chaitra Vasava in the Assembly and said that he should explain to his national leader because he is sharing wrong information about Virat Kohli's caste in public forums. [/ans]
[q] Which cricketer did Bhagwant Mann give the example of and what was the context? [/q]
[ans] Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had mentioned former England player Vikram Solanki. He told that earlier he thought that Solanki was from England, but later it came to light that he belonged to the Koli community of Gujarat. [/ans]
[q] What is the main difference between the surnames 'Kohli' and 'Koli'? [/q]
[ans] 'Kohli' is a Khatri surname originating from North-West India (Punjab). At the same time, 'Koli' is a separate community whose roots are deeply rooted in the coastal and rural areas of Western India, especially Gujarat and Maharashtra.