Jignesh Mevani, a Gujarat MLA, was re-arrested in a new case today, just days after being granted bail by an Assam court in a case involving tweets about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yesterday, the court reserved its decision on the bail application in the tweets case.
The police from Assam’s Barpeta, who came to arrest Mr Mevani, have not yet stated why the Gujarat MLA was detained again.
Mevani was apprehended for the first time on Thursday in Gujarat’s Palanpur by an Assam police team after a local BJP leader in Assam’s Kokrajhar filed a complaint against him. Mr Mevani, an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Modi, has described his arrest as “vendetta politics by the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office).”
“It is a conspiracy by the BJP and the RSS. They did this to tarnish my image. They have been doing this systematically. They did it to Rohit Vemula, they did it to Chandrasekhar Azad, now they are targeting me” Today, Mevani spoke to reporters.
The 41-year-old has been charged with criminal conspiracy, offence against a place of worship, inciting religious feelings, and provocation that may result in a breach of the peace.
The Congress has claimed that the arrest was made within 24 hours of the complaint in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat, which the BJP has ruled since 1995.
“You can try to crush dissent by abusing state machinery, Modi ji. However, the truth can never be imprisoned “Rahul Gandhi of the Congress Party tweeted.
Mevani, an Independent MLA from Banaskantha’s Vadgam seat, had stated that he would run as a Congress candidate in the next elections.
