The Supreme Court has extended the interim bail granted to Congress Spokesperson Pawan Khera for remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s during a press conference, for which he was booked by the Uttar Pradesh and Assam Police, till Friday.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala asked both the states of UP and Assam to file counter in the plea by Friday, while extending the interim bail.
The Apex Court observed that the ad interim protection granted earlier, will be extended till the next date of hearing.
On Thursday, the top court of the country had granted interim bail to the Congress spokesperson in a plea moved immediately after he was arrested by the Assam Police from the Delhi airport.
Khera, during a press conference, had said that if Narasimha Rao could form a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee), if Atal Bihari Vajpayee could form a JPC, then what problem did “Narendra Gautam Das…sorry Damodardas Modi” had in forming a JPC?
He later appeared to confirm the middle name with a colleague. BJP has alleged that Khera deliberately did this with the name of the Prime Minister.
Pawan Khera has been booked for offences under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth etc.) and Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The leader was picked up from the Delhi airport after he had boarded a plane to Chhattisgarh’s Raipur for attending a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
The Assam Police deplaned him based on a first information report (FIR) registered against him.
Khera moved the Supreme Court immediately after he was arrested by the Assam Police from the Delhi airport on Thursday.