Hours after Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani was detained, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that he was unaware of his identity.
After an FIR with multiple accusations, including criminal conspiracy, was lodged in Kokrajhar on Wednesday night, Assam Police detained Jignesh Mevani the Dalit activist and independent MP.
When asked about Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, who was arrested late yesterday night in connection with reportedly derogatory tweets about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and brought to Guwahati today, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma answered, “I don’t know.”
“I’m not sure. Who is he, exactly? “When questioned about his reaction to Mevani’s arrest, the chief minister asked. “Who will do vendetta politics when I don’t know him?” he remarked, adding, “I’m not aware of the specifics.”
The Assam chief minister also took a jab at the Congress, which had rushed legal assistance to assist Mevani’s defense. “In Congress-ruled states, there will be ample evidence that such (tweets) have been taken seriously,” he remarked.
Congress has claimed a ‘conspiracy’ in the arrest of Jignesh Mevani.
Bhupen Borah, the BJP’s Assam unit leader, said that no specifics of the FIR on which Mevani was arrested had been supplied, pointing out that Mevani is a vociferous critic of the BJP and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological mentor).
Moreover, if Mevani is not released on bail, Assam Congress leader Manjit Mahanta told sources that the party will protest against the state.
In addition, he said, “Due to the Guwahati Municipal Corporation elections on Friday, we would have to wait two days. We will organize a movement if Mevani is not released on bond in the meanwhile.”
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi chimed in as well, tweeting: “Modiji, you can try to crush dissent by abusing state machinery. But you can never imprison the truth.”
However, Jignesh Mevani was generally expected to join the Congress in October of last year, and his endorsement was considered a boost ahead of the next assembly elections.
Jignesh Mevani expected to run for Congress in the 2022 elections
However, he later stated that he was unable to participate due to “technical reasons.” He did express his support and stated that he would run for Congress in the 2022 election.
After an FIR (first information report) was filed in Assam’s Kokrajhar district with several allegations, including criminal conspiracy, a squad of Assam Police officers detained the Dalit leader and independent lawmaker at 11.30 p.m. yesterday from Palanpur, Gujarat.
He was flown to Guwahati and then driven to Korajhar, where he was brought to the police station and his bail petition was made.
“An FIR was registered against him for his tweet. We are moving his bail petition and we are hopeful that he will be out today,” Kankan Das, a lawyer and the general secretary of the Congress’ Assam unit, was quoted by the news agency.
Jignesh Mevani, a Gujarat MLA, was arrested and sent to the Kokrajhar police station in Assam.
Arup Dey, a Bodoland Territorial Region executive member, and BJP functionary, filed the complaint against Mevani. It was submitted on April 18th.
According to the complaint, Mevani’s tweet addressed Modi and said that he ‘worships and views [Mahatma Gandhi’s killer] ‘Godse as God,’ as well as requesting that the prime minister appeal for peace and harmony in Gujarat’s communally violent Himmatnagar, Khambhat, and Veraval.’
Also Read: JIGNESH MEVANI, GUJARAT MLA ARRESTED BY ASSAM POLICE, 2022
