Gujarat: Jignesh Mevani demands IAS officer’s suspension over alleged ‘anti-Dalit’ remark

Gujarat MLA and prominent Dalit politician Jignesh Mevani demanded the suspension of Mahisagar District Collector Neha Kumari on Wednesday, accusing her of making anti-Dalit comments.

Mevani argeted Kumari citing a purported video in which she was heard saying that 90 percent of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, or the Atrocities Act, are used for blackmailing, PTI news agency reported.

Mevani visited Lunawada, the district headquarters, and demanded that an FIR be registered against the collector under the Atrocities Act and that she was suspended over her “insensitive” remarks and “unparliamentary” words.

When one Vijay Parmar went to meet the collector with his grievance at the SWAGAT programme on October 23, she used “unparliamentary” words against him and also insulted the lawyer community by saying they should be “slapped with slippers”, Congress MLA told reporters.

SWAGAT is the Gujarat government’s initiative to redress people’s grievances.

According to Mevani, the collector’s claim that 90 per cent of cases under the Atrocities Act are misused for blackmailing is an insult to the SC and ST communities and amounts to an offence under the Atrocities Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

“We demand Kumari’s suspension and that a case be registered against her,” Mevani said.

The district collector called the MLA’s allegations a “political stunt”.

Jignesh Mevani’s demand comes a week after he sought similar action against senior IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian for allegedly misbehaving with him and one of his party colleagues. Mevani last week alleged threat to his life from Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (SC/ST Cell) Rajkumar Pandian.

Rajkumar was an accused in the encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in November 2005. He was later absolved by the court.

Courtesy :Maktoob Media 

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