Ahmedabad: Independent MLA and Dalit leader from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani has been taken to Kokrajhar from Guwahati airport by Assam Police on Thursday following his arrest from Gujarat's Palampur Circuit House at around 11.30 pm late night on Wednesday. He was arrested over his tweets claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who "considers Godse as God, should appeal for peace and harmony against communal clashes in Gujarat." However, Mevani's Twitter handle shows that the tweets made by him have been withheld by authorities. Also, a case has been registered against Jignesh Mewani in Assam. However, the police have not yet given a copy of the FIR.
A case was lodged against Mevani under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), section 153(A) (promoting enmity between two communities), 295(A), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and sections of the IT Act. "I have been arrested in connection with one of my tweets," said Jignesh Mevani, adding that police did not provide him with any specific information. "I am not afraid of any false complaint," the Vadgam MLA furthered, adding that he will continue to fight. Following the developments at midnight, several Congress leaders came out in support of Mevani.
Meanwhile, Mevani's lawyer Paresh Vaghela in a statement said that a complaint has been registered in connection with a tweet case and that he was arrested for violating CrPC 80. Congress state president Jagdish Thakor chanted slogans in support of Jignesh and against the Assam police. Regarding Mevani's arrest, Jagdish Thakore said that a complaint was registered against Jignesh for tweeting on RSS. This is an attempt to intimidate an MLA who does not believe in money and has made a false complaint. Neither Jignesh nor Congress is afraid of such complaints. Our legal team will fight for Jignesh and release him.
Actress Swara Bhasker also took to Twitter and wrote, "Just received this message from a friend of @jigneshmevani80 .. Jignesh has been arrested from Palampur circuit house by Assam Police right now. His phones have been withheld. No one has the FIR Copy. What’s going on? Why is #JigneshMevaniArrested #FreeJigneshMevani RT & share."
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Just received this message from a friend of @jigneshmevani80 .. Jignesh has been arrested from Palampur circuit house by Assam Police right now. His phones have been withheld. No one has the FIR Copy.. What’s going on? Why is #JigneshMevaniArrested #FreeJigneshMevani RT & share pic.twitter.com/QB7ZSQxvl7
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) April 20, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Just received this message from a friend of @jigneshmevani80 .. Jignesh has been arrested from Palampur circuit house by Assam Police right now. His phones have been withheld. No one has the FIR Copy.. What’s going on? Why is #JigneshMevaniArrested #FreeJigneshMevani RT & share pic.twitter.com/QB7ZSQxvl7
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) April 20, 2022Just received this message from a friend of @jigneshmevani80 .. Jignesh has been arrested from Palampur circuit house by Assam Police right now. His phones have been withheld. No one has the FIR Copy.. What’s going on? Why is #JigneshMevaniArrested #FreeJigneshMevani RT & share pic.twitter.com/QB7ZSQxvl7
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) April 20, 2022
It may be recalled that Mevani, a Dalit leader, has first emerged, along with Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakore, as the youth face challenging the BJP dominance in Gujarat during the 2017 Assembly elections.
