'Disrupt PM event, throw chairs in air': EC files FIR against Jignesh Mevani for comment

According to the FIR, Mevani’s speech “intended to deliberately incite hatred and incite people to create a ruckus in public meetings”.

Written by:

Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani has landed himself in a controversy for his remarks at an event in Karnataka.

Jayant T, a government gazetted officer and member of the Election Commission’s flying squad number 99 has registered an FIR against Mevani and district co-ordinator of Komu Souhardha Vedike Shafi Ullah, for reportedly making inflammatory statements.

Jignesh Mevani who was in Chitradurga’s Vartha Bhavan on Wednesday, was addressing a gathering at the “Save Our Constitution” event organised by Komu Souhardha Vedike.

Jignesh wants chairs to be flung in air, ruckus to be created in PM Modi's public meetings.

Mewani and his ilk are such a disgrace on our civilized society!

CEC must stop such people from entering KA till elections are over! pic.twitter.com/zQWLIBlx5d
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 6, 2018

During the speech, Mevani stated that the “role of the youth was to disrupt Prime Minister Modi’s speeches”.

“Currently, the best role of the youth of Karnataka is to go to Prime Minister Modi’s public address in Bengaluru on April 15 and hurl chairs in the air and disrupt his function. Ask him what happened to the Rs 2 crore employment generation. If he does not have the answer, ask him to go and sleep in the Himalayas. Ask him to sleep there and and ring the bell at the Ram Mandir,” Mevani said.

The Vadgam MLA said that he was not affiliated to any political party and that he was in Karnataka to create awareness among the people and ensure that BJP does not re-enter south India.

“I am not here to support any political party. I am here to awaken the masses on the risks of facism and ensure that BJP does not enter south India,” he added.

According to the FIR, Mevani’s speech “intended to deliberately incite hatred and incite people to create a ruckus in public meetings”.

The FIR has been registered under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant),117 (abetting commission of offense by the public)and 34 (Criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC.

Mevani had earlier in December, promised to campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka.

“I am not concerned about which party will benefit by my campaign, but my focus is to defeat the BJP. No matter to which party or organisation the candidate belongs to, we have to support him or her. We shall also appeal to the Congress not to field its candidates against them, as the party did in my case in Gujarat. Our goal must be to defeat the Sangh Parivar,” Mevani had said in December last year.

BJP leaders in the state have demanded that Mevani be barred from entering the state until the elections are over.

Art