JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, along with Jignesh Mevani, newly emerged Dalit leader in Gujarat, were detained by the State police in North Gujarat town Mehsana for convening public meeting without permission. The police also detained Reshma Patel, an associate of pro-quota leader Hardik Patel. The young leaders in their twenties and thirties held a public meeting at Somnath Chowk in Mehsana as part of ‘Azadi kooch’ (Freedom march) from Mehsana to Dhanera in Banaskantha. Mevani had planned this march to mark one year of public flogging of four Dalit youths at Una by self-styled cow protection group. Sources said that police had to detain nearly 200 persons to maintain peace in the town. Mevani and Kanhaiya kumar were picked up from Nani Dau village on Palanpur-Mehsana highway.
Police also filed an FIR against Mevani and his associates. In his social media message Mevani claimed that an attempt to attack him was made in presence of police. The group of hoping to march to Dhanera and till the fields of farmers who were yet to be officially handed over land allotted in their names.
Mevani also claimed that his organization Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch was not granted permission to take out the rally under instructions from deputy chief minister Nitin Patel who belongs to Mahesana district.