Jignesh Mevani's request for Delhi rally under consideration: Police

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police today said Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani's request for holding a rally here tomorrow is still "under consideration", even as the organisers insist it will be held on pre-scheduled time.

The 'Social Justice' rally or 'Yuva Hunkaar Rally' is planned to be addressed by 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 Mevani a deshdrohi (traitor) and urban naxal," Pandey told PTI, adding the event will be held as per schedule.

Mevani could not be reached for his comments.

In a statement, the organisers have urged the prospective participants to "assemble on the Parliament Street at 12 pm tomorrow".

A senior police officer though said, "Mevani'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 Mevani from across the country are expected to attend the rally.

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 Saharanpur district.