Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani arrested by Assam Police over tweets criticising PM Modi

Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani was arrested by Assam Police from Palanpur town in Gujarat on late Wednesday night over a tweet and taken to Assam by air in the early hours, officials said here on Thursday.

The prominent Dalit leader from Gujarat was arrested soon 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 registered at Kokrajhar police station in Assam, said his aide Suresh Jat.

"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. However, the tweet 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 independent MLA from Vadgam seat in Banaskantha. He recently joined Congress. In a statement, Mevani's office said he was arrested by Assam police from Palanpur circuit House at 11:30 pm on Wednesday.

Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and other Congress leaders rushed to Ahmedabad Airport after learning about his arrest and shouted slogans against the BJP government.

In September last year, Mevani, a journalist, activist, and lawyer, had extended support to the Congress party as an independent legislator.

According to ANI, Mevani's arrest followed a tweet where he said PM Modi who "considers Godse as God, should appeal for peace and harmony against communal clashes in Gujarat."

He has now been charged under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), section 153(A) (promoting enmity between two communities), 295(A), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and sections of the IT Act.