Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani detained hours before Modi lands in Gujarat

Earlier today, just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Gandhinagar, Gujarat police detained Dalit protest leader Jignesh Mevani at Ahmedabad’s domestic airport. Mevani, who shot to limelight after leading the #ChaloUna protest march through Gujarat last month, had returning from Delhi by an Indigo. At 8pm, minutes after the flight landed, Mevani was apprehended by at least 25 personnel from Gujarat Police and Airport security.

“Gujarat police officers were in civil dress,” said Viral Mevani, who was at the airport to pick up the 35-year old Dalit leader. “I requested the police to let me talk to me my brother, to which they replied, ‘Ghabrao mat, apke bhai ko kuch nahi hoga (Don’t worry, nothing will happen to your brother).” The police didn’t share any other information regarding Mevani’s detention and his location as of now remains undisclosed, Viral told Newslaundry.

Newslaundry tried reaching Jignesh on his phone several times but it was switched off.

Jignesh’s close aide Kaushik Parmar said, “I fear that he has been detained due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state. As per our information a few other leaders related to Patidar reservation movement too have been detained.” According to some highly-placed sources, he has been kept at some undisclosed location near the airport. Activist Shabnam Hashmi tweeted that Mevani was “Crime Branch Gaikwad Haveli”, but Newslaundry was not able to verify this information.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Gandhinagar hours afterwards. Modi has come to his home state to celebrate his birthday. While Modi’s arrival was reported on news channels, Mevani’s detention had not been reported by mainstream media at the time that this report was being filed.