Jignesh Mevani gives Rajasthan govt sleepless nights

Jaipur: Dalit leader and Indepen-dent MLA from Gujarat, Jignesh Mevani is giving sleepless nights to ruling BJP in Rajasthan. After the Karnataka Assembly election, he has shifted focus to Rajasthan with the single aim of defeating the BJP in the Assem-bly elections in December and followed by general elections next year.

A fierce critic of the RSS, BJP and PM Narendra Modi, in particular, Mr Mevani is asking dalits to take a pledge not to vote for the BJP.

Back for the third time in less than two months, Mr Mevani said, “I will ask them to take in name of baba saheb that they will never attend shakha in their life time and will not vote for the BJP ever in the future.”

Mr Mevani has set a target of administering this oath to at least ne lakh dalits. “The BJP is creating a divide between dalits, Muslims and other communities. However, you should remain united. Always remember that you are a dalit. In the coming time, Amit Shah (BJP national president) will come and try to lure you with money, but never fall in his trap,” said Mr Mevani while addressing dalit community members be it in Abu, Sirohi, Nagaur or Sikar. He keeps reminding them about atrocities against dalits and blamed BJP governments across the country for suppressing their voice.

Initially, in a panic, the BJP government had imposed several restriction on him. When he arrived in Jaipur in April after mass-level violence followed by backlash from general castes, the police had detained him at airport on the ground that he might disturb peace. He returned without any meeting but threw a challenge to chief minister Vasundhara Raje that he would be back soon to a grand welcome. “I would be back and promise you that it will be fun to work against you in assembly elections.”