Gujarat Dalit leader and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani was on Sunday detained by the state police in the wake of the Ahmedabad bandh call given by him in protest against the death of Dalit activist Bhanubhai Vankar, who had immolated himself on Thursday.
Mevani had convened Dalit protesters to converge at a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in Sarangpur, but before he could reach the area, his car was stopped Saraspur. He was detained by the Gujarat Police to ensure no untoward incident takes place.
Another Dalit leader, Naushad Solanki, was also detained by the police. Apart from them, at least 25 members of Bhim Shakti Sena were detained to stall the bandh call.
The family of the Dalit activist, who had immolated himself, had refused to accept his body after it was brought for post-mortem to Gandhinagar civil hospital.
Hundreds of Dalit protesters had gathered outside the hospital to support the family which was demanding the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter and re-granting of land which had been allotted to Dalits across the state but whose ownership titles had not been regularised.
Talking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the land in question would be transferred in the name of the family member.
"We will also constitute a judicial commission under a retired high court judge or form an SIT for investigation, as per the decision of the family, and we will take strict action against those responsible," Patel said.
"A member of the family will be given a government job, and the family will be given Rs 8 lakh as per the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, out of which Rs 4 lakh will be handed over immediately," Patel told reporters.
"The government will, at the earliest, also regrant land which was allotted to beneficiaries across the state but were been given the titles of the land," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
