Image: PTI
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has issued notice to the Chief Secretaries of Gujarat and Assam in connection with the arrest of Jignesh Mevani, a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Vadgam constituency in Gujarat.
Mevani was arrested by the Assam Police from a circuit house in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district at 11:30 P.M on April 20, 2022, for two allegedly offensive tweets against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was then taken to Ahmedabad where he was kept overnight and flown to Assam the following day. It is alleged that the arrest was carried out in complete violation of procedures laid down in law for the arrest of a sitting MLA.
On April 25, the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM) and Jai Bhim Youth Group filed a complaint with the Mamlatdar’s office highlighting the discrepancies in Mevani’s arrest. The Mamlatdar is a local designation of an official with the Prant (district) office, and is the Head of revenue administration consisting of 50 groups of villages.
The complaint letter in Gujarati may be viewed here:
National Dalit Adhikar Manch and Jai Bhim Youth Group have filed an application in the Mamlatdar’s office against the house arrest of Jignesh Mevani #Lakhtar #ReleaseJigneshMevani @jigneshmevani80 @RDAMIndia @ADevvrat @assampolice @BJP4Assam @CMOfficeAssam @DalitDastak @INCSCDept pic.twitter.com/RBxYfpoWvz
— YE_AWAAZ_HAI ?? (@Ye_Awaaz_Hai) April 25, 2022
Dalit groups have been holding multiple protests across the state ever since Mevani was arrested.
संविधान के सम्मान में
हम सब है मैदान में।
@jigneshmevani80 को रीहा करने की मांग के साथ गुजरात में जगह जगह पर विरोध प्रदर्शन किया गया, आनेवाले दिनों में यह संघर्ष और भी तेज किया जाएगा।#ReleaseJigneshMevani #iamwithjigneshmevani #istandwithjigneshmevani pic.twitter.com/2fFnpCEynB— Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (@RDAMIndia) April 22, 2022
आज सारंगपुर, अहमदाबाद में @jigneshmevani80 की गिरफ्तारी के खिलाफ विरोध प्रदर्शन किया गया।
कल सोमवार को अहमदाबाद के जुना वाडज सर्कल, अहमदाबाद सुबह 10:30 बजे से कलेक्टर ऑफिस तक रैली निकाली जायेगी।
सभी साथियो को जुड़ने की अपील।#ReleaseJigneshMevani pic.twitter.com/MXrnaXo8Wf
— Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (@RDAMIndia) April 24, 2022
While Mevani was granted bail by a Kokrajhar court in the Twitter case on April 25, he was re-arrested shortly thereafter by the Barpeta Police in connection with a case involving assaulting a female police officer. A lower court in Barpeta rejected Mevani’s bail plea in this case on April 26, and remanded him to five days police custody. Mevani is expected to appeal to a higher authority today.
Related:
Barpeta court rejects Jignesh Mevani’s bail in assault case
BREAKING: Jignesh Mevani re-arrested after getting bail in Assam
BREAKING: Assam court grants Jignesh Mevani bail
Assam court remands Jignesh Mevani to three days police custody