Arrested MLA Jignesh Mevani reaches Assam, taken to Kokrajhar

Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, who had been arrested from the western state by the Assam Police for a purported social media post, was brought here on Thursday, a police officer said. "He was flown to Guwahati from Gujarat around 11 am," the officer said. Mevani was then taken to Kokrajhar by road, over 220 km from Guwahati, as the case under which he was arrested was registered there.

The prominent Dalit leader was apprehended from Palanpur town in Gujarat on Wednesday night after a First Information Report (FIR) under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with offences related to promoting enmity between communities, was filed at Kokrajhar police station, his aide Suresh Jat said.

"As per a document shared by the officials of the Assam police, an FIR has been lodged over a tweet by Mevani few days back. The post has been withheld by Twitter. It was about Nathuram Godse. Mevani was first brought to Ahmedabad by road and then taken to Assam by air early today morning," he added.


Mevani is an independent MLA from Vadgam seat in Banaskantha. He has recently pledged support to the Congress.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday termed Mevani's arrest "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional".

Gandhi said it was an insult to the people who elected him as a public representative.