Gujarat MLA: Jignesh Mevani Re-Arrested Right After Getting Bail

Jignesh Mevani, a Gujarat MLA, was re-arrested in a new case today, just hours after an Assam court granted him bail in a case involving tweets about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yesterday, the court had reserved its decision on the bail application in the tweets case.

The police who came to arrest Mr Mevani in Assam’s Barpeta haven’t said in which case the Gujarat MLA was arrested again. According to sources, one of the sections of the Indian Penal Code under which Mr Mevani has been charged in the new case includes allegations of obstructing the work of a government officer.

Mr Mevani was first apprehended by an Assam police team on Thursday in Gujarat’s Palanpur, 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 detention as “vendetta politics by the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office).”

“The RSS and the BJP are conspiring against each other. They did it to smear my reputation. They’ve been doing it in a systematic manner. They did it to Rohit Vemula, Chandrasekhar Azad, and now they’re going after me “Today, Mr. Mevani told reporters.

The 41-year-old has been charged with criminal conspiracy, offence related to place of worship, outraging religious feelings, and provocation that might lead to breach of peace.

Mr Mevani’s tweets, according to BJP leader Arup Kumar Dey, are “likely to incite a section of the masses belonging to a certain community.”

Mr Mevani has been “trying to divide people by his posts and always speaks negatively about Prime Minister Modi,” Mr Dey said in an interview with NDTV.

“We are fortunate to have Modi ji as our Prime Minister, and Mevani is attempting to link his name to recent (violence) incidents. Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame for this? What proof does he have that Godse is Prime Minister Modi’s God? “he stated.

“You can try to crush dissent by abusing the state apparatus, Modi ji. The truth, on the other hand, can never be imprisoned “Rahul Gandhi of the Congress sent out a tweet.

Mr Mevani, an Independent MLA from Banaskantha’s Vadgam seat, had stated that he would run for Congress in the next elections.

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