Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani arrested by Assam Police

Banaskantha (Gujarat): The Assam police arrested Jignesh Mevani the MLA from Gujarat’s Vadgam on Wednesday night, reportedly over a couple of his tweets.

A police team from Assam took Mevani into custody at Palanpur Circuit House in Banaskantha around 11:30 pm on Wednesday night, as per Mevani’s team.

“Police yet to share FIR copy with us. Prima facie, we have been informed about some cases filed against him in Assam,” his aides had said during the time of his arrest.

Later, the Kokrajhar police in Assam confirmed the development.

“Kokrajhar police arrested Congress Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani from Palanpur Circuit House last night,” Kokrajhar Superintendent of Police Thube Prateek Vijay Kumar told ANI today.

A case was lodged against Mevani under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), section 153(A) (promoting enmity between two communities), 295(A), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and sections of the IT Act.

A couple of tweets on Mevani’s Twitter handle are not visible on his feed with a message from displaying that the tweets have been withheld in India based on a “legal demand”.

Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani arrested by Assam police from Palanpur circuit House. Police yet to share the copy of the FIR with us, we have been informed about some case filed against him in Assam and is likely to be deported to Assam tonight.

-Team Jignesh Mevani pic.twitter.com/Bn0cbX1a9I

— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyakumar) April 20, 2022

“This Tweet from @jigneshmevani80 has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand,” reads the message on the Vadgam MLA’s Twitter.

Mevani has been taken to Ahmedabad and from there Assam Police will take him to Guwahati.

Supporters of Mevani have planned a protest against his arrest in the national capital today.

Meanwhile, in a tweet by the Gujarat Congress today, it read, “Assam Police along with Gujarat Police is reported to have detained Gujarat MLA Mr Jignesh Mevani at 11:30 pm and taken him to Assam by train on April 21 from Ahmedabad at 4 am. Treating a public servant as a criminal at night is CONDEMNABLE.”

Elected as an independent MLA, Mevani had extended his support to the Congress party in September 2019.