Mewani: Modi govt a threat to democracy, Constitution
Newly- elected Gujarat MLA and dalit leader Jignesh Mewani attacked the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the Yuva Hunkar rally in Delhi on Tuesday for which the Delhi police had refused permission.
Addressing the youth on Parliament Street, Mr Mewani said that the Narendra Modi government poses a “threat” to the country’s democracy and Constitution, and added that the Prime Minister must choose between the Constitution of India and Manu Smriti.
Delhi Police had denied permission for the rally, but as the organisers decided to go ahead with it anyway, it deployed 1,500 personnel armed with water cannons and tear gas.
The rally, which began around 1 pm just metres away from the Parliament Street police station, had a modest turnout.
Mr Mewani shared the stage with JNU student leaders, including Kanhaiya Kumar, Shehla Rashid and Umar Khalid.
Responding to the low turnout at the rally, Kanhaiya Kumar said, “We do not have a hired crowd, but people who come out responding to their heart’s call.”
He alleged that the BJP and RSS were known for “violence” and spreading “hatred” and appealed to youngsters not to fall into their “trap”. “Read any religious books and all of them say there is god in every person. The one who burnt Afrazul to death in Rajasthan has killed the god in him too,” he said.
Afrazul Khan was hacked and burnt to death in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district in December last year. In a video shared on social media, the accused, who was arrested, was seen declaring that he killed the man to save a woman from “love jihad”.
Assam’s farmer leader Akhil Gogoi and senior Supreme Court lawyer
Prashant Bhushan also attended the Yuva Hunkar rally.
Speaking at the rally, Mr Mewani said, “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.”
Protestors gathered also demanded the release of Chandra Shekhar Azad, the founder of the dalit group Bhim Army, who is currently in jail in UP under the National Security Act.
Hitting out at the government, Mr Mewani, an independent MLA from Gujarat’s Vadgam, said, “The 125 crore people of this country are watching that someone is not being allowed to speak for merely demanding the release of Chandra Shekhar 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.”