Dalit leader and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani was on Monday suspended for three days from the Gujarat Assembly by Speaker Rajendra Trivedi for “indiscipline” and “disrespecting” the Chair.
The Speaker took action against Mr. Mevani after the MLA suddenly got angry during a discussion on a resolution moved by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for celebration of Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) on the first day of the three-day Assembly session that commenced on Monday here.
The short session ends on December 11.
Constitution Day is celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the statue book.
Taking part in the discussion, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel mentioned about ‘Sanman Yatra’ held in 2010 in Surendrangar when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat.
While emphasising on how much the BJP believes in the ethos of the Constitution, Mr. Patel said a replica of the statue book was put on a decked-up elephant and a procession was taken out in Surendranagar.
No sooner than Mr. Patel ended his sentence, Mr. Mevani (39) suddenly said “and then you fired bullets on Dalits in Thangadh (in 2012)”.
The MLA from Vadgam was referring to the death of three Dalits in Thangadh town of Surendranagar district in a police firing. Despite warnings from the Speaker and amid chaos in the House, Mr. Mevani pointed figures at the Treasury Benches and said “you all believe in Manusmriti (an ancient Hindu religious legal text), not the Constitution“.
When Mr. Trivedi warned of action, Mr. Mevani told the Speaker that getting suspended today will be a “proud moment” for him. As an angry Mr. Mevani tried to charge towards the Well of the Assembly, marshals took him out of the House.
Taking a strong exception to his behaviour, Mr. Trivedi said Mr. Mevani was doing it merely for publicity. Mr. Trivedi said the independent MLA has “disrespected” the Speaker’s Chair as well as the House by his conduct.
Though Congress legislators tried to play down Mr. Mevani’s act, saying he was a first-time MLA, Mr. Trivedi said such “indiscipline” cannot be tolerated.
Mr. Rupani urged the Speaker to suspend Mr. Mevani till the end of the three-day session.
Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani of the MLA urged Mr. Rupani as well as the Speaker to reduce the suspension for only one day, but his plea was not heeded.
As proposed by the Treasury Benches, Mr. Trivedi suspended Mr. Mevani till the end of the ongoing session.
