India: Supreme Court grants interim bail for arrested senior Congress leader Pawan Khera

A senior leader of India's opposition Congress Party, Pawan Khera, was released on bail hours after he was arrested at the Delhi airport on Thursday for allegedly making disgraceful remarks for country's prime minister Narendra Modi.

India's largest opposition party has been calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the Adani-Hindenburg row. At a press conference earlier, Khera flubbed Modi's name when he said, "If Narasimha Rao could form a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee), if Atal Bihari Vajpayee could form a JPC, then what problem does Narendra Gautam Das...sorry Damodardas...Modi have?"

The arrest came as the Congress spokesperson Khera was headed to the capital of Indian state of Chhattisgarh, Raipur, to attend the All India Congress Committee (AICC) plenary session which is scheduled to begin on Friday.

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A police team from Indian state of Assam came to arrest the leader with an FIR and accused him of remarks "made intentionally" and "causing breach of public peace, with intent to incite violence and disturb peace and tranquility in the society." After the arrest, the party approached Supreme Court and argued that the statement was a "slip of tongue" and clarified that Khera had also apologised.

Later, India's apex court directed a Delhi court to grant interim bail to the senior Congress leader. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, "There has to be some level of discourse, we are protecting you." Moreover, the court also clubbed cases registered against Khera in Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam, a request the party had been making.

In its defence, the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that it was a deliberate attempt by Khera.

"Today the situation in the country is worse than the Emergency. There is an emergency-like situation in the country without declaring it. His arrest has defamed our country all over the world. Nothing can be more unfortunate than this, that is why we say democracy is in danger and the Constitution is being torn to shreds. The public will destroy their pride," said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

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Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, "Make no mistake- pathetic remarks by courtier Pawan Khera on PM’s father have blessings of the top levels of Congress, which is full of entitlement and disdain against a person of humble origins being PM. India will not forget or forgive these horrible remarks of Congressmen."

The attacks and counterattacks continued throughout the day. One of the other prominent Congress leader and Chief Minister of Indian state of Rajasthan said, "Today the situation in the country is worse than the Emergency. There is an emergency-like situation in the country without declaring it. His arrest has defamed our country all over the world. Nothing can be more unfortunate than this, that is why we say democracy is in danger and the Constitution is being torn to shreds. The public will destroy their pride," said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot."

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Congress accused the ruling party of attemping to obstruct the plenary session and added that it is scared after"successful Bharat Jodo Yatra."

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