Jignesh Mevani detained at Jaipur airport by police; Gujarat MLA was heading to Ambedkar Jayanti event at Nagaur

Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani was detained at Jaipur airport when he was going to attend a programme on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti at Nagaur, The Indian Express reported. Mevani was told the “order was passed from higher authorities”, according to the report.

Mevani took to Twitter to complain about the incident:

For urgent attention of media : today, immediately after I landed at Jaipur airport, few cops made me sign a letter saying MlA Jignesh mevani's entry is restricted in entire nagor district of Rajasthan. I was going there to talk about Indian constitution and Baba Saheb Ambedkar

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) April 15, 2018

If Bhagwat was going at Nagor district of Rajasthan to talk about Manusmriti, Raje would have allowed him. But since I was supposed to talk about the philosophy of baba Saheb Ambedkar they are restricting my movements. Vasundhara ji, hamara bhi vada raha chunav me maza ayenga.. — Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) April 15, 2018

On Saturday afternoon, during the CLG meeting on the police station premises, SP district Deshmukh held meetings with the organisers about the security during the programme, Dainik Bhaskar reported.

File image of Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani. CNN News18

The police said Mevani was restricted from moving around in Jaipur because of the prohibitory order under section 144 of the CrPC which was in effect in the district after the violence during the 'Bharat bandh' on 2 March. "We are providing him Nagaur district administration's order and (telling him about the) imposition of section 144 in Jaipur after which he is free to travel anywhere," DCP Jaipur East Kunwar Rashtradeep said."He was neither detained nor arrested by the police," said Rashtradeep.

On 18 February, Mevani, and around 70 others, were detained in Saraspur area of Ahmedabad when they tried to stage demonstrations over Dalit activist Bhanubhai Vanakar's death.

City crime branch officials claimed that Mevani did "not behave properly" with the police during his detention.

With inputs from PTI