Police cautious over Jignesh Mewani's rally in city

New Delhi: The Delhi police, on Monday, said Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mewani’s request for holding a rally here on Tuesday is still “under consideration,” even as the organisers insist that it will be held on the pre-scheduled time.

The ‘social justice’ or ‘Yuva Hunkaar’ rally is planned to be addressed by Mr Mevani and Assam peasant leader Akhil Gogoi. One of the organisers and former JNU Students’ Union president, Mohit Kumar Pandey, said: “There has been a lot of attempts to stop this event and even some media houses are spreading wrong information that the permission for the rally has been denied.”

Ever since the rally was announced on January 2, “a lot of money has been spent on posters calling Mewani a deshdrohi (traitor) and urban Naxal,” Mr Pandey told the media, adding that the event will be held as per schedule.

Mr Mewani could not be reached for his comments. In a statement, the organisers have urged the prospective participants to “assemble at the Parliament Street at 12 pm on Tuesday.” However, a senior police officer said, “Mewani’s request for the rally is still under consideration.” The rally seeks to raise the demand for the release of Dalit outfit Bhim Army’s founder Chandrashekhar Azad and emphasise on issues like educational rights, employment, livelihood, and gender justice.

A large section of students from universities and colleges in Delhi, women’s groups, teachers’ associations, and activists associated with Mr Mevani from across the country are expected to attend the rally. Notably, Azad (30) was arrested in June last year from Himachal Pradesh as he was the main accused in the Thakur-Dalit clash in Uttar Pradesh’s.