New Delhi: The Congress party on Thursday said its senior leader Pawar Khera was arrested by the Assam police at the Delhi airport minutes after he was deplaned from a Delhi-Raipur IndiGo flight. The politician was scheduled to take off for Chhattisgarh for the AICC plenary session beginning tomorrow.
Congress politician Supriya Shrinate claimed it was the controversial remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi that led to his arrest. She implied that Khera calling the PM 'Narendra Gautamdas Modi' led to his arrest. She said the politician had corrected what she described as a slip of tongue.
Pawan Khera recently described the PM as Narendra Gautamdas Modi as he was demanding a JPC probe against the Adani Group. The probe was demanded in reference to the Hindenburg allegations against the Adani Group.
The group is owned by Gautam Adani.
After his arrest, Congress leaders raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a statement, IndiGo said he was deplaned by the police and the airlines just followed the advice of the concerned authorities.
Khera later said in a statement that he was asked to deboard as there was some issue with his baggage. When he got down, he was told that the DCP would meet him.
The BJP had been demanding his arrest since he made the remark.
"The Modi government is acting like a bunch of goons by deplaning Pawan Khera from the Delhi-Raipur flight and preventing him from joining the AICC Plenary. Using a flimsy FIR to restrict his movement and silence him is a shameful, unacceptable act. The entire party stands with Pawan ji," tweeted Congress leader KC Venugopal.
Soon after making the remark, Khera had said his name was in fact Narendra Damodardas Modi and that it was a fumble.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had called the remark pathetic. He said India would never forget or forgive these horrible remarks.
"As per rules, airport police including DCP is also on the spot to legally take control for the arrest of Pawan Khera as desired by Assam Police and Assam police is also at the airport," sources told ANI.
"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 in the statement.
