The Supreme Court on Monday extended Congress leader Pawan Khera’s interim protection from arrest.
On February 23, he was arrested at the Delhi airport by Assam Police, but he was later granted interim bail by the Supreme Court.
The Assam and Uttar Pradesh governments have been asked to file responses, and the tentative hearing will be held on Friday for the same.
Pawan Khera was arrested by the Assam Police on his way to Raipur from Delhi to attend the Congress party’s 85th plenary session. According to IGP Law and Order, Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, the Congress leader was arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy and inciting communal disharmony for his remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
FIRs were filed against Pawan Khera at police stations in Lucknow, Varanasi, and Assam after he made disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a press conference on the Adani-Hindenburg dispute on February 17.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal reacted angrily to Pawan Khera’s arrest, saying, “Using a flimsy FIR to restrict his movement and silence him is a shameful and unacceptable act. Pawan ji has the support of the entire party.”
