Congress leader Jignesh Mevani on Monday alleged "some Godse bhakts" in the Prime Minister's Office had got FIRs registered against him and termed his arrest by the Assam Police a "pre-planned conspiracy" to destroy him ahead of assembly elections in the state.
"Some Godse-bhakts sitting in the PMO have got serious FIRs registered against me over my mere tweeting," Mewani said at a Press conference at AICC headquarters. Mevani, who was released on Saturday, also said his arrest was an act of "56-inch cowardice" that had undermined Gujarat's pride, an apparent swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 56-inch chest assertion.
Mevani announced that he would take to the streets and ensure a Gujarat Bandh on June 1 on a raft of issues -- seeking action against those behind the leak of 22 exam papers, the recent recovery of "Rs 1.75 lakh-crore" worth of drugs from the Mundra Port, and to press for the withdrawal of all cases against Dalits in Una and against minorities in the state.
The Independent legislator from Vadgam who has pledged his support to the Congress was picked up by the Assam Police from Gujarat on April 19 and taken to the northeastern state after a purported tweet that Modi "considered Godse as God".
After being released on bail in the case, the Dalit leader was rearrested on charges of assaulting a policewoman. A court in Barpeta granted him bail in the case and urged the Gauhati High Court to consider directing the Assam Police to reform itself to "prevent registration of false FIR like the present case..." "My arrest by the Assam Police was a pre-planned conspiracy. It was in blatant disregard to protocol and rules for an MLA," he added.
"It is my charge that this is a conspiracy designed by the Prime Minister's Office. Gujarat elections are due soon and this is being done to destroy me. I fear there is every chance that by now they may have planted something on my computer which has been seized by them."
Mevani also asked what the interest of the BJP or the prime minister could be in arresting him over a mere tweet as if he were a terrorist. "Such things are very dangerous for our democracy."
He alleged that the woman police officer was put under "pressure" to complain against him, but he will not go against her "öut of generosity". The attempt to harass him had failed, Mevani declared.
On Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's claim that he was not aware of the arrest, he said, "It is impossible that the Assam CM does not even know about my arrest. He got offences registered against me at the instance of his political bosses."