RSS-BJP tried to tarnish my image: Jignesh Mevani

Jigesh, who defeated his BJP rival in the recently concluded Gujarat poll, said he had no role in the Dalit unrest in Maharashtra. He made it clear that neither he was present in Bhima Koregaon where the unrest took place nor participated in the bandh called by several Dalit groups in Maharashtra.

Jigenesh also said his speeches are available on digital platform.

The Dalit leader finely linked the actions taken against him to the tough battle BJP had to fight in the Gujarat poll, where the saffron party's dream of winning 150 seats was restricted to just 99.

Jignesh won his Vadnam seat of Gujarat as an independent candidate with the support of Congress.

Expressing concerns over the lower sections of the society, Jigesh said: "Now I am an MLA. If an MLA is targeted in this way, this shows what will be the condition of those farmers who will raise their voices against the BJP."

The newly elected MLA even asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up on the issue of Dalit unrest which rocked Maharashtra in the early part of the week.

He also advocated a classless society at a time when the PM is aiming for a digital India. "The PM wants to make digital India. We also want that. But at the same time we want a classless society. He should speak up."

A day after a state-wide bandh call by Dalit groups disrupted life in parts of Maharashtra, police filed a case against  Jignesh Mevani and Umar Khalid allegedly for making speeches inciting caste tension, media reports said.

Police also denied permission for the All India National Students’ Summit where newly elected Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid were invited as guests.

The case against them have been filed by the Pune police under charges of ‘creating communal disharmony’ through ‘provocative speeches’ delivered at Elgaar Parishad.

The Elgaar Parishad was held in Pune to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon.

In Mumbai, Mevani and Khalid were scheduled to take part in the meeting, which was to be held at the Bhaidas Hall in Vile Parle.

Violence erupted in Maharashtra on January 1 when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa’s army.

Vehicles were torched, traffic was disrupted and train services were halted in parts across the state due to the bandh called by the Dalits on Wednesday.

Following massive protests and violence by alleged supporters of Dalit groups, 16 cases were filed by the police and more than 300 people were detained.

Two persons died in the clashes, one of them a 16-year-old.

image: twitter.com/jigneshmevani80