Congress leader Pawan Khera on Thursday said that authorities flat out lied to him while trying to get him off a plane to Chhattisgarh, in a brazen violation of rules and his personal liberty. Later, as he was arrested and taken away by the Assam Police, he was ready to fight the "long battle".
"I was told that there is an issue with my baggage, though I only had hand baggage. They told me you can't fly. Then they said the DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) will meet you. I have been waiting for a long time. There is no sign of law and order," Mr Khera said.
Mr Khera, a senior Congress spokesperson, was allegedly forced to exit an IndiGo flight out of Delhi, despite a boarding pass, moments after party leaders boarded the plane. He was arrested and whisked away by police and later granted interim bail by the Supreme Court.
Nearly 50 party leaders, who were flying to Raipur for a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), launched a protest on the tarmac, next to the aircraft during the altercation.
IndiGo Airline sources said Mr Khera was deplaned on being served an FIR or First Information Report. There was "no impact" on flights, they said.
The Congress alleged that Pawan Khera was stopped without an arrest warrant. "This is nothing but a rattled government and its high-handedness," Congress's Supriya Srinate told NDTV.
"Are PM and Home Minister unaware of this incident? India's condition worsening day by day. Democracy is in danger, laws have gone for a toss. They (BJP) blame Indira Gandhi for emergency, but what they're doing is worse than emergency," Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said.
The BJP has demanded Mr Khera's arrest over allegations that he insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An FIR was filed after a BJP leader filed a police complaint.
"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 KC Venugopal, a senior Congress leader.
