Congress leader Pawan Khera was on Thursday arrested by Assam Police at the Delhi Airport minutes after being deplaned. The arrest has reportedly been made on a complaint against Khera for allegedly insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported PTI.
During a press conference in Delhi on Monday, Khera had referred to the PM as “Narendra Gautamdas Modi” criticising the BJP government over the Adani-Hindenburg crisis. The PM’s full name is Narendra Damodardas Modi, with the middle name standing for his father’s name. Khera later said it was a slip of tongue.
The Congress claimed that Khera was deboarded from a Delhi-Raipur flight as he was headed to Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur for the AICC plenary session, which will commence tomorrow.
In a statement, Khera said, “I was told there is a problem with your luggage, even though I only have one handbag. When I came down from the flight, I was told that you cannot go. Then it was said – (Deputy Commissioner of Police) DCP will meet you. I’ve been waiting for a long time. There is no trace of rules, laws and reasons.”
Meanwhile, Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, IGP Law and Order and spokesperson of Assam police told ANI that a case has been registered against Khera at Haflong police station in Assam’s Dima Hasao district. “A team of Assam police left for Delhi to take remand of Pawan Khera in connection with the case. We have requested Delhi police to arrest him (Pawan Khera). We will bring him to Assam after taking permission from a local court,” he said.
On Thursday, passengers on the Delhi-Raipur flight that was carrying several Congress leaders to Raipur were asked to deboard by the Indigo staff, with the airline saying that they will be put on another flight. The development came after Congress claimed that Khera was deplaned from a flight to Raipur.
Several party leaders got off the plane after Khera was deboarded and staged a dharna on the tarmac.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said that deboarding Khera showed that the “BJP is scared of the Congress’ plenary session”, reported ANI.
“On one hand BJP is trying to stop our program in state by conducting numerous raids & on the other hand they are stopping our Congress leaders from coming to Chhattisgarh. Deboarding Pawan Khera from the plane shows that BJP is scared of Congress Plenary Session,” Baghel said.
“This is not such a huge crime (giving remarks on PM’s father) that he was deboarded. BJP has been saying a lot about Sonia-Rahul Gandhi, ex PM Manmohan Singh, but we didn’t take any action against them. It clearly indicates that they want to stop Congress leaders,” he added.
A case against Khera was also registered by Uttar Pradesh police based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Mukesh Sharma who said that the Congress spokesperson had “intentionally made fun” of PM Modi’s late father.
Union minister Amit Shah also raked the issue during an election campaign in poll-bound Nagaland saying that “standards of the Congress functionaries are falling by the day”, reported The Indian Express.
“For such a beloved prime minister of ours, the kind of language which has been used is something I strongly condemn. It is a matter of concern for me and everyone concerned about the standards of public life that the standard of Congress functionaries is falling by the day since Rahul Gandhi became the party leader,” Shah had said.