Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], October 12 (ANI) : An FIR has been registered against Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani at the Pethapur police station in Gandhinagar following an incident where he allegedly obstructed police personnel from performing their official duties.
According to the FIR, the incident occurred on October 9 during an election campaign in Gandhinagar. Police officials were in the process of recording a statement from a Congress candidate at the Pethapur police station in connection with a complaint filed against him.
The complaint alleges that Jignesh Mevani arrived at the police station accompanied by a group of supporters and obstructed the officers while they were discharging their official duties.
The case has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 189(2) (unlawful assembly), Section 190 (joint liability for a common object), Section 191(2) (rioting), Section 221 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of duties), and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation).
Additionally, the MLA has been booked under Section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace), as well as Sections 353(1)(b), 353(1)(c), and 353(2), which pertain to the spreading of false information, inciting enmity, and promoting hatred between different groups.
The development comes after Mevani, accompanied by senior leader Amit Chavda and party workers, staged a sit-in protest outside Sector-21 Police Station in Gandhinagar on October 5, demanding the immediate registration of an FIR and the arrest of a BJP leader, Dhaval Dave, for allegedly making derogatory and obscene remarks against Mevani’s sister on social media.
Holding a protest outside the police station, Mevani questioned the state administration, drawing a comparison with the swift action taken when derogatory remarks were made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother.
“When someone used abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, a case was promptly registered, and strict action followed. On the same lines, a BJP leader named Dhaval Dave published obscene, vulgar, and abusive remarks against my sister through a social media post. An FIR must be registered against him as well,” Mevani told reporters.
Targeting the ruling dispensation, Mevani questioned, “Does Modi ji’s mother hold importance, but Jignesh Mevani’s sister does not? How will this work? Due to this act, 50 lakh Dalits across Gujarat and all mothers, sisters, and daughters of the state are deeply hurt. The language used in that post is so vile that I cannot even utter or share it publicly.”
The Vadgam MLA further alleged that leaders operating from “Kamalam” (Gujarat BJP headquarters) and within the state Home Department coordinated to amplify the derogatory content rather than having it taken down.
“Instead of having that post deleted, certain BJP leaders sitting in Kamalam and the Home Department circulated that vulgar and abusive post across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to tarnish my reputation and make it viral across Gujarat,” Mevani alleged.
Stating his demands, Mevani said, “Our demand is non-negotiable. An FIR must be registered at any cost against this BJP leader Dhaval Dave. He should be arrested immediately and taken on police remand. We have been sitting on a dharna outside the Sector-21 police station for over three hours, pressing for these demands.”
Earlier, high drama unfolded at the entrance of the police station when personnel initially restricted entry to only five representatives. This led to heated arguments and pushing and shoving between party workers and police officers before leaders were eventually allowed inside to submit their formal complaint.
Mevani had earlier warned the authorities that he would embark on an indefinite hunger strike if the police refused to register a criminal case in the matter. (ANI)
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