Assam Police arrest Pawan Khera soon after getting deplaned
Congress leader Pawan Khera was arrested on Thursday by the Assam Police at the Delhi airport for allegedly making disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his father during a press conference earlier this week. Khera was reportedly forced to disembark from an IndiGo flight after boarding it as part of a Congress delegation traveling to Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur for a meeting.
Why does this story matter?
Khera caused a stir earlier this week when he flubbed Modi's name while calling for a joint parliamentary probe into the ongoing Adani-Hindenburg row. "If Narasimha Rao could form a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee), if Atal Bihari Vajpayee could form a JPC, then what problem does Narendra Gautam Das...sorry Damodardas...Modi have?" Khera said. Meanwhile, BJP has insisted that the Congress leader's gaffe was intentional.
I was told that I can't go: Khera
In a clip shared on the party's Twitter handle, Khera claimed: "I don't know..I was told that your baggage has to be checked. I said I do not have any luggage except a handbag." "When I came down, I was told that I cannot go, a DCP would come. We are waiting for the DCP for the last 20 minutes," the Congress leader added.
Video shows Khare being detained at Delhi airport
Khera forced to deboard Raipur-bound IndiGo flight
Khera was allegedly forced to deboard IndiGo's 6E-204 flight, set to fly to Raipur with a group of Congress leaders for an All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting. However, the Assam Police arrived at the airport with an FIR and arrested Khera. This prompted the other Congress leaders to get off the plane and stage a sit-in protest on the Delhi airport tarmac.
Shrinate accuses BJP of 'dictatorship'
Accusing the BJP government of "dictatorship" following Khare's arrest, Congress's Supriya Shrinate said: "This is the same Assam Police which does not take any action against atrocities...I want to ask what was the reason for this detainment. If this is not dictatorship, then what is?"
Video of Shrinate's statement after Khera's arrest
IndiGo releases statement after Khera incident
On the back of this incident, IndiGo said: "A passenger was deplaned by the police at the Delhi airport from Raipur-bound flight 6E 204. Some other passengers have also decided to deboard on their own accord." "We are following the advice of the concerned authorities. The flight is delayed as of now, and we regret the inconvenience caused to other passengers," added the airline.
Pathetic remarks by Khera: Assam CM
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also called out Khera for his comments on PM Modi. "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," he tweeted. "India will not forget or forgive these horrible remarks," he added.
