Scuffles and chaotic scenes were witnessed in Ahmedabad after caste activist and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani along with his supporters tried to obstruct BJP MPs and MLAs from paying respect to Ambedkar statue in the city. According to reports, Mevani and his supporters raised anti-BJP slogans and stopped the BJP leaders from garlanding the statue.
Ahmedabad: Ruckus at an event on the occasion of #AmbedkarJayanti as MLA Jignesh Mevani’s supporters tried to obstruct BJP MPs & members from garlanding BR Ambedkar’s statue. #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/eghNs9TDfG
— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2018
Following the scuffle, five of Mevani’s supporters were detained by the police. Mevani tweeted that his supporters were detained at Sarangpur and were later taken to Kalupur police station. According to reports, BJP MP Kirit Solanki was among those who were stopped by Mevani and his group.
Earlier on April 9, while speaking in a seminar organised by his Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, Mevani had stated that he and his group are against the Supreme Court order for amendments in the SC/ST (PoA) Act and they demand the BJP led central government to bring in an ordinance to repeal the order. He had stated that they will not allow BJP leaders to garland statues of Ambedkar on 14th April if the government fails to bring in the ordinance.
Mevani had also called for the impeachment of the two Supreme Court justices who passed the order. The Bharat Bandh called by several Dalit groups against the Supreme Court order saw widespread violence in many locations across the country. The SC had later refused to stay the order and stated that it does not dilute the Act in any way and the order only ensures safeguards against the rampant misuse of the Act.
