Independent Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani hit out at PM Narendra Modi and the Assam government at police in a press conference today, a few days after his release on bail ordered by a court in Assam. Mevani had been arrested by Assam Police from Gujarat’s Palanpur on April 21st and then re-arrested in another alleged ‘molestation’ case against a female police personnel which was criticized by the Assam court that granted him bail.
Mevani came out guns blazing against the Prime Minister and Assam government, reiterating his earlier remark that there are “Godse bhakts” in the PMO. His comment that the Prime Minister ‘worships Godse as a god’ was deemed a reason arrest him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act.
‘Arrests A Pre-Planned Conspiracy To Defame Me Ahead Of State Polls’
Mevani alleged tha there was a “conspiracy” to defame him ahead of the elections in Gujarat at the end of this year, and tok a swipe at the PM for ’56 inches of cowardice’ because he ‘used a woman’ as a pawn to tarnish his image.
He also pointed out that there had been 22 question paper leaks in Gujarat but no investigations or arrests had occurred. “Neither was there any probe into the huge drug haul at Mundra port and nor were there investigations or arrests into the allegations of rape levelled against a Gujarat Minister by a Dalit woman. A call for genocide of a particular community was made from a Dharam Sansad but no action was taken,” he said to reporters at the Congress headquarters.
He also said that his arrest was arbitrary, without due process, and since he was arrested as a sitting MLA it represented an insult to Gujarat and its government:
“My tweet was simple. I was merely asking the Prime Minister to appeal for peace and harmony. For that, they arrested me. What does it show? It was a pre-planned conspiracy to destroy me…. I was not provided a copy of the FIR… the Sections slapped against me were not disclosed to me. I was not allowed to talk to my lawyer… my privilege as an MLA was disregarded. The Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly was not informed about my arrest… Perhaps he was informed after I was taken to Assam and once I was in their custody. This has hurt the pride of Gujarat. The Gujarat government should also be ashamed,” he said.
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