Pawan Khera’s arrest an attempt to disrupt Plenary Session: Congress

New Delhi, February 23

Congress president Mallijarjun Kharge today slammed the Modi government for the arrest of party spokesperson Pawan Khera and said that democracy in India was being turned into “Hitlershahi” (rule of Hitler).

“Our leaders in Chhattisgarh were being raided by the ED before the Plenary Session. We condemn the dictatorship,” Kharge said in a tweet.

विपक्ष संसद में मुद्दे उठाए तो नोटिस दिया जाता है।
महाधिवेशन के पहले छतीसगढ़ के हमारे नेताओं पर ED का रेड कराया जाता है।
आज मीडिया चेयरमेन को जहाज़ से ज़बरदस्ती उतारकर गिरफ़्तार किया गया। भारत के लोकतंत्र को मोदी सरकार ने हिटलरशाही बना दिया।
हम इस तानाशाही की घोर निंदा करते हैं।

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 23, 2023

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the arrest of Pawan Khera was “another attempt to derail” the Plenary Session of the party which is to start at Raipur from tomorrow.

Freedom of Speech is slowly weakening in India, but Freedom AFTER Speech is fast becoming extinct. My colleague @Pawankhera was deplaned from a Raipur-bound flight. After ED raids, another attempt to derail Congress Plenary. Murder of Democratic India is the right acronym for Him pic.twitter.com/11LXuDSOQO

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 23, 2023

“Freedom of Speech is slowly weakening in India, but Freedom AFTER Speech is fast becoming extinct. My colleague @Pawankhera was deplaned from a Raipur-bound flight. After ED raids, another attempt to derail Congress Plenary. Murder of Democratic India is the right acronym for Him”, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary (organisation) said Modi government was acting like a “bunch of goons”.

“Modi govt is acting like a bunch of goons by deplaning @Pawankhera ji from the Delhi-Raipur flight and preventing him from joining the AICC Plenary”, Venugopal said in a tweet.

Using a “flimsy FIR” to restrict his (Khera’s) movement and silence him is “a shameful, unacceptable act. The entire party stands with Pawan ji”, Venugopal said in a tweet.