Congress MLA Mevani alleges police inaction in Ahmedabad’s Paldi builder dispute, threatens protest

Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani on Tuesday intervened in a dispute between workers and builders in the Paldi-Ambawadi area of Ahmedabad, alleging police inaction and threatening to stage a protest if complaints were not registered.

According to the workers, builders have set up a camp at Trikamlal’s house in the locality and allegedly deployed hired men to pressure residents into vacating their homes. The workers claimed that when they refused to leave, the men abused women and subjected families to threats and mental harassment over the past 20 days.

The matter falls within the Ellisbridge-Paldi constituency, represented by BJP MLA Amit Shah. Mevani visited the Paldi Police Station along with women workers and questioned why their complaint had not been registered. The workers alleged that a woman police inspector declined to file their complaint.

Mevani also raised questions about why cases were registered against elderly individuals who are unable to walk, while no action had been taken against those allegedly intimidating residents.

He further alleged that more than 20 country liquor outlets were operating in the Paldi-Ellisbridge area, from Kochrab village to Madalpur, and accused the police of failing to act against bootleggers. A list of alleged liquor outlets and names of bootleggers was submitted to the police, he said.

The MLA warned that if the complaints of the women workers were not registered and the alleged illegal liquor outlets were not shut down, he would organise a sit-in outside the police commissioner's residence and gherao the Paldi police station.

Police officials have not yet issued a detailed statement on the allegations.