Congress leader Pawan Khera was stopped from boarding a plane at Delhi airport after a request was received from the Assam Police to stop him,” Delhi Police said on Thursday.
Khera alleged that he was deboarded from the aircraft and arrested by Assam Police in an illegal manner. He was arrested at the Delhi Airport by the Assam Police in a case related to an alleged remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Without furnishing a copy of FIR and notice, I was deboarded from the aircraft and arrested by Assam Police in an illegal manner. I have complete trust in the judicial system which protected my freedom of expression today,” said Pawan Khera.
In a video shared on Congress’s Twitter handle, Khera said that he does not know why he was deboarded. “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. I don’t know why am I being stopped,” he said.
The incident happened following an FIR by Assam Police. A case was registered at Haflong police station in Assam’s Dima Hasao district against Congress leader Khera, police said on Thursday.
Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, IGP L&O and spokesperson of Assam police said that, a team of Assam police left for Delhi to take remand of Pawan Khera in connection with the Haflong police station case.
“A case has been registered against Pawan Khera at Haflong police station in Dima Hasao district, our team is Delhi, and we have requested Delhi Police to arrest him. We will bring him to Assam after permission from the local court,” the Assam Police said.
Confirming this, Indigo Airlines issued a statement, saying that a passenger was deplaned and the flight has been delayed.
“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,” Indigo said.
Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge came down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre after party leader Pawan Khera was arrested in Delhi, and alleged that the Narendra Modi government has turned “India’s democracy into a Hitlershahi”.
“Notice is given if the opposition raises issues in Parliament. ED raids are conducted on our leaders of Chhattisgarh before the plenary session. Today the media chairman was forcibly taken off the plane and arrested. The Modi government has turned India’s democracy into a Hitlership. We strongly condemn this dictatorship,” Kharge tweeted in Hindi.
This comes after Khera was arrested by Assam Police on Thursday in Delhi. He was earlier deboarded from a flight while en route to Raipur to attend Congress Plenary Session.
Congress leader Pawan Khera on Thursday said that he is “ready to fight the long battle” soon after Assam Police arrested him.