Goa Congress condemns arrest of Gujarat MLA Mevani

Panaji: The Goa Congress on Monday condemned the arrest of Gujarat Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani and said the treatment being meted out to him showed the country was under "undeclared Emergency".

Mevani was rearrested by Assam police on Monday for allegedly assaulting officials after a court in Kokrajhar in the north-eastern state granted him bail in a case related to a tweet by him against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Gujarat legislator was arrested on April 19 from Palanpur town in Gujarat after an FIR was registered against him in Kokrajhar.

Goa Congress leaders, including state unit chief Amit Palekar, Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo and Congress Working Committee member Digambar Kamat, met at Porvorim near here to discuss the issue.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Palekar said, "The arrest sets a wrong precedent. There is no freedom of speech in the country. The incident shows there is undeclared Emergency in the country."

Lobo said Mevani was arrested on "flimsy grounds" and such detentions could happen in Goa as well under this government. (PTI)