Gujarat polls: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani's convoy attacked during campaign; BJP denies role

Ahmedabad: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Tuesday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters attacked his convoy when he was campaigning, a charge denied by the ruling party.

The 34-year-old is contesting the Gujarat polls from Vadagam in Banaskantha district as an Independent candidate with outside support of the Congress.

The constituency, around 200 km from Ahmedabad, is reserved for SC candidates.

Police said one of the vehicles in his convoy was hit by a stone, damaging its window, but no one was injured.

“A vehicle in Mevani’s convoy was hit by a stone but nobody was injured. Mevani was in another vehicle. We will initiate whatever legal proceedings are required in the matter,” said Banaskantha SP Niraj Badgujar.

Mevani said the BJP was scared of him and that’s why it was resorting to such acts.

“Friends, supporters of the BJP today attacked me at Takarwada village. The BJP is scared and therefore it is resorting to such acts. But I am a revolutionary, will not get scared,” Mevani wrote on Twitter in Hindi.

#ShamefulAct #गंदी_राजनीति
दोस्तों आज मुझ पर बीजेपी के लोगोने तकरवाड़ा गांव में अटैक किया, बीजेपी भयभीत हो गयी है इसलिए ऐसी हरकत कर रही है पर में तो एक आंदोलनकारी हूँ, न डरूंगा न तो झुकुगा पर बीजेपी को तो हराऊंगा ही। pic.twitter.com/wOlLLfhFef

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) December 5, 2017

In another tweet, he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if it was “your idea or (BJP chief) Amit Shah’s to attack those who are winning the election, because this is not Gujarat’s tradition”.

However, the BJP denied Mevani’s allegations.

Gujarat BJP spokesperson Jagdish Bhavsar said his party had nothing to do with the attack on Mevani’s convoy.

“These are false allegations. Even our chief minister (Vijay Rupani) has said we should celebrate this festival of democracy (elections) in right spirit and not indulge in violence,” Bhavsar said.

Mevani is pitted against Vijay Chakravarthi of the BJP. The seat is currently held by Manibhai Vaghela of the Congress.

The Congress had asked Vaghela not to contest from the seat “as part of an agreement” with the Dalit leader.

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