BJP Hails Rejection of Bail to Pawan Khera
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday welcomed a Delhi court's decision to reject the bail plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera in a defamation case, while launching a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi for backing him.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the court's order was a 'slap on the face' of the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi, who had been 'misleading the country' by supporting Khera.
'The court has clearly stated that Pawan Khera made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is a clear case of defamation and the court has done the right thing by rejecting his bail,' Patra said.
The case pertains to Khera's alleged remarks against Modi during a press conference in January 2023, where he referred to the prime minister as a 'traitor'. The BJP filed a defamation complaint against Khera, leading to his arrest and subsequent grant of interim bail by the Supreme Court.
Patra also targeted Rahul Gandhi, saying his support for Khera exposed the Congress party's 'anti-national' stance. 'Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation for backing a person who called the prime minister a traitor,' he added.
The Congress party, however, termed the court's decision as 'unfortunate' and said it would challenge the order in a higher court. Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said the party stood by Khera and would provide him all legal assistance.
Khera was arrested in January 2023 after the Supreme Court refused to stay his arrest in the defamation case. He was later granted interim bail by the top court on the condition that he would not make any further defamatory statements.
The case is likely to be heard next week in the trial court, where Khera's lawyers will argue for bail on merit.
