Jignesh Mevani, the face of new- found Dalit assertiveness in Gujarat, made his debut on the national political stage today with a rally here where he called the Modi government a "threat" to democracy and Constitution.
Jignesh Mevani, the face of new- found Dalit assertiveness in Gujarat, made his debut on the national political stage today with a rally here where he called the Modi government a "threat" to democracy and Constitution.
Thumbing his nose at the Delhi police, which had declined permission for holding the 'Yuva Hunkar' rally to demand the release of Dalit activist from Uttar Pradesh Chandrashekhar Azad, Mevani used the platform to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi over "Gujarat model" of politics.
Though the crowd at the rally was thin with most chairs empty, Former and current JNU student leaders, including Kanhaiya Kumar, Shehla Rashid and Umar Khalid were present on the stage, metres away from the Parliament Street Police Station.
The MLA from Vadgam, who shot to prominence after he launched a campaign across Gujarat against the BJP following the incident in Una where Dalits were flogged by vigilantes for skinning a dead cow, with Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor, formed the troika that helped substantially revive the Congress's fortunes in Modi's home state.
"The 125 crore people of this country are watching that someone is not being allowed to speak for merely demanding the release of Chandrashekhar Azad, effective implementation of the Constitution and two crore jobs to the youth.
"If an elected representative does not have the right to do so, then this is Gujarat model," Mevani said to loud cheers from a crowd comprising student activists from Delhi, Lucknow and Allahabad among other places.
The rally -- held on Parliament Street in the heart of the national capital where prohibitory orders are in force through the year -- was primarily called to demand the release Dalit outfit Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad.
Azad was arrested under the tough National Security Act (NSA) over Thakur-Dalit clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district last year.
Assam peasant leader and anti-graft activist Akhil Gogoi and senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan were also present, apart from students from JNU, Delhi University, Lucknow University and Allahabad University among others.
The speakers at the gathering also sought to emphasise on issues like educational rights, employment, livelihood and gender justice.
Mevani said he will stand against the politics of hatred and stick to constitutional values and the "politics of love", along the lines of what Congress President Rahul Gandhi said after the Gujarat polls.
"I believe in politics of unity. I believe in politics of love, not love jihad. Alpesh Thakor, Hardik Patel and I are being targeted because we demolished their (BJP) pride and arrogance in Gujarat..There's a looming threat to our democracy and Constitution today," he said.
Although authorities had maintained till the last minute that Mevani and his supporters did not have permission to hold the event, it seems the rally organisers and Delhi Police reached a compromise later.
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