Cong MLA Jignesh Mevani evicted from Gujarat assembly for creating ruckus during debate

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani was evicted from the state assembly on the direction of Speaker Shankar Chaudhary for creating a ruckus and entering the well of the House during a debate on the last day of the monsoon session on Friday.

Mevani was escorted out of the assembly by sergeants without using any force after the Speaker ordered his eviction.

During a debate on drug seizures by Gujarat police, Mevani stood up and started shouting at treasury benches and challenged the BJP government to debate on other "burning" issues such as rapes.

Mevani, a working president of the Gujarat Congress, rushed towards the well and dared Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi to have a debate on live television on tragedies such as the Rajkot game zone fire, Morbi bridge collapse and Vadodara boat capsize incident.

Despite repeated requests by the Speaker to maintain decorum, the MLA, while standing near his seat, kept demanding a debate and walked into the well, prompting the Speaker to evict him.

Condemning Mevani's behaviour, Chaudhary said the Congress MLA disrespected the Constitution through such acts.

BJP MLAs Ramanlal Vora, Jitu Vaghani and Minister Rushikesh Patel termed Mevani's behaviour "unacceptable" and said he was only interested in getting publicity.

After the issue was settled, Sanghavi responded to a "matter of urgent public importance" raised by BJP MLA Bharat Patel about the seizure of narcotics.

He informed the House that the police had recovered unclaimed drugs worth Rs 850 crore along the Gujarat coastline in the last 15 days.

The minister said drug packets get washed ashore after they are dumped into the sea by smugglers due to the heightened security by the police.

In the last one year, the police arrested 431 persons involved in the illegal narcotics trade and seized drugs worth Rs 5,640 crore.