New Delhi: The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) took out a protest march here on Wednesday against the arrest of Jignesh Mevani, an Independent MLA from Gujarat, by the Assam Police, demanding his release. The march led by IYC President Srinivas BV started from the Sunehri Bagh circle and moved towards the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The protest comes a day after Mevani was remanded to five-day police custody by a court in Assam’s Barpeta district in an assault case filed by a woman police officer. Holding placards that read: “We will not be silenced by your dictatorial attitude” and “Stop attacking the voice of the people” the IYC protestors raised slogans against the centre demanding the Congress-backed MLA’s release.
Congress National Media In-charge Rahul Rao said, “Many Youth Congress workers marched towards Shah’s residence, however, the Delhi Police barricaded the road and stopped them from marching ahead. Many were also detained.” On Tuesday, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mukul Chetia remanded Mevani to police custody. This is the second case filed against the Dalit leader from Gujarat in Assam.
Mevani’s lawyer Angshuman Bora said they will move the court for bail on Thursday. The MLA had on Monday been released on bail by a court in Kokrajhar in another case related to a tweet by him on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only to be re-arrested in a case filed against him by a policewoman who claimed that he “assaulted” her while he was being brought by a police posse from Guwahati to Kokrajhar.