Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani terms his arrest as '56-inch cowardice'

New Delhi: “Some Godse bhakts in the Prime Minister's Office” had got FIRs registered against him, Gujarat legislator Jignesh Mevani alleged on Monday, and termed his arrest by the Assam Police a “pre-planned conspiracy” to destroy him ahead of the Assembly elections in Gujarat.

Mevani, who was released on Saturday, also said his arrest was an act of “56-inch cowardice that had undermined Gujarat's pride”. Addressing a press conference, Mevani announced that he would take to the streets and ensure a Gujarat bandh on June 1 on a raft of issues such as seeking action against those behind the leak of 22 exam papers, the recent recovery of “Rs 1.75 lakh-crore worth of drugs” from the Mundra Port, and to press for the withdrawal of all cases against Dalits in Una and against minorities in the state.

“Some Godse-bhakts sitting in the PMO have got serious FIRs registered against me over my mere tweeting,” he told reporters at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi. The independent legislator from Vadgam, who has pledged support to the Congress, was picked up by the Assam Police from Gujarat on April 19 and taken to the northeastern state after a purported tweet that Modi “considered Godse as God”.

After being released on bail in the case, the Dalit leader was rearrested on charges of assaulting a policewoman. A court in Barpeta granted him bail in the case and urged the Gauhati High Court to consider directing the Assam Police to reform itself to “prevent registration of false FIR like the present case”.

Mevani said that he had only tweeted asking the prime minister to give a call for peace and harmony in Gujarat, a state he considers “Mahatma's temple”. “Does this mean you do not want to appeal for peace and harmony? I challenge those bhakts and BJP leaders to say 'Godse murdabad' from the Red Fort, if they are not Godse bhakts,” he said. Mevani also asked what the interest of the BJP or the prime minister could be in arresting him over a mere tweet as if he were a terrorist.

On Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's claim that he was not aware of the arrest, he said, “It is impossible that the Assam CM does not even know about my arrest. He got offences registered against me at the instance of his political bosses.”