Congress leader Pawan Khera said he was ready to fight a long battle as the police took him away after he was deplaned at the airport Delhi airport. He was arrested soon after he was deboarded on the instructions of the Assam police and multiple cases have been lodged against him across Assam over his comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's father.
"We have requested Delhi police to arrest him (Pawan Khera). We will bring him to Assam after taking permission from a local court," Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, IGP Law & Order and Spokesperson of Assam police, told news agency ANI.
Earlier, Assam CM Himant Biswa Sarma had tweeted, "Make no mistake- pathetic remarks by courtier Pawan Khera on PM’s father have blessings of the top levels of Congress, which is full of entitlement and disdain against a person of humble origins being PM. India will not forget or forgive these horrible remarks of Congressmen."
Khera recently referred to the prime minister as "Narendra Gautamdas Modi" while criticising the Central government over the row involving the business conglomerate headed by Gautam Adani. The ruling party has accused him of making fun of the prime minister and his late father.
PM's Modi's full name is Narendra Damodardas Modi, with the middle name Damodardas standing for his father's name, a common practice in many parts of the country.
The Congress Party also staged a protest at Delhi airport after Pawan Khera was deplaned from Delhi-Raipur Indigo flight 6E-204. The grand old party criticised the Modi government, alleging a "dictatorial" move ahead of the Congress party's 85th plenary session, scheduled to take place in Raipur from February 24 to 26.
Speaking about the incident, Pawan Khera said, "I was told there is a problem with your luggage, even though I only have one handbag. When came down from the flight, I was told that you cannot go. Then it was said – DCP will meet you. I've been waiting for a long time. There is no trace of rules, laws and reasons."
Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter and remarked, "First ED raided Raipur, now @Pawankhera has been offloaded from Raipur by Delhi Police. Another name for dictatorship is Amit Shahi. The Modi government wants to disrupt our national convention. We are not afraid, will continue to fight for the countrymen."
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the Assam Police directive tweeting, "While going from Delhi to Raipur to attend the Congress session, senior Congress leader Mr. Pawan Khera was taken off the flight by the Assam Police. What was the emergency that the Assam Police came to Delhi and did this act? Earlier ED raids in Raipur and now such act shows BJP's fury. This is condemnable."
Senior Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that Khera was stopped citing an FIR by Assam Police, "Today we were going for the Congress Plenary Sessoin to Raipur, and our colleague Pawan Khera was told that he left his luggage but he was not carrying any luggage. Then the Police came and said Assam Police has registered an FIR."
"We asked them to show an arrest warrant but they did not show any order. It is completely illegal Assam and Delhi Police have stopped our flight forcefully," he claimed.