Jignesh Mevani, Hardik Patel to hold rally with Sharad Pawar and Sitaram Yechury in Mumbai

It is expected that the Mumbai police will not give permission to the opposition leaders to hold the rally.

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani seem to be continuing their offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The two leaders from Gujarat have announced that they will hold a joint rally in Mumbai on January 26.

The rally gains more political significance as leaders of two opposition parties are also expected to take part. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Left leader Sitaram Yechury are also expected to attend the rally.

It is expected that the Mumbai police will not give permission to the opposition leaders to hold the massive rally in the Maharashtra capital.

Mevani has been at loggerheads with the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra since Bhima Koregaon violence during a Dalit rally in the area earlier in January.

A public meeting of Mevani, along with JNU leader Umar Khalid, in Mumbai on January 4 was cancelled by the police citing security reasons. Several students were also detained or forcibly removed from the venue of the event.

However, Mevani later held a Yuva Hunkaar rally in the national capital despite no permission from Delhi Police for the same. Addressing the rally, Mevani had accused the BJP government of not paying heed to the real issues - corruption, poverty and unemployment.

"The way corruption, poverty, unemployment and the real issues are being swept under the carpet and ghar wapasi, love jihad and cows are being given space, we stand against that," Mevani said.