"Intent To Cause...": What The FIR Against Congress' Pawan Khera Says

Congress leader Pawan Khera was granted interim bail till February 28 after being arrested by the Assam Police from Delhi airport over his alleged objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The FIR against Mr Khera, lodged in Assam, alleges that the Congress leader "made certain remarks involving the name of PM Modi which are not just insulting, defamatory and derogatory to PM Modi and his deceased father" but also provocative to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and PM Modi's followers.

The FIR claims that Mr Khera's "provocative statements" have created serious repercussions among political activists and PM Modi's followers.

"At the same time, considering the orchestrated, repeated personal attacks on PM Modi from different vested and interested circles, it is apparent that the present spat of verbal defamatory attack on Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi by Shri Pawan Khera, is part of a wider conspiracy to degrade and destabilise our nation by defaming and disreputing the person, who is holding a high constitutional post as Prime Minister of India," the FIR reads.

The FIR alleges that Mr Khera's remarks "have been made intentionally" to provoke BJP workers, "causing breach of public peace, with intent to incite violence and disturb peace and tranquility in the society."

After his removal from a flight and arrest at the Delhi airport earlier today, Mr Khera was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court.

"There has to be some level of discourse, we are protecting you," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said while granting relief to Mr Khera.

In what was a dramatic sight, nearly 50 Congress leaders launched a protest on the Delhi airport tarmac this morning after Mr Khera was asked to get off a flight to Chhatttisgarh's Raipur, where Congress plans to discuss internal polls at its 85th plenary session.

Condemning Mr Khera's arrest, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge came down heavily on the BJP, alleging that the Narendra Modi government has turned "India's democracy into a Hitlershahi".

"Notice is given if the opposition raises issues in Parliament. ED raids are conducted on our leaders of Chhattisgarh before the plenary session. Today the media chairman was forcibly taken off the plane and arrested. The Modi government has turned India's democracy into a Hitlership. We strongly condemn this dictatorship," Mr Kharge tweeted in Hindi.

The BJP, meanwhile, hit back by saying that Congress leaders should not live under a "misconception" that they are above the law.