New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday accused the government of reducing India's democracy to "Hitlar-shahi" and "dictatorship" as it reacted angrily to the arrest of Pawan Khera but the ruling BJP shrugged off the criticism, saying the opposition party's leaders should not live in this misconception that they are above the law.
Congress leader Khera was stopped at the Delhi airport from flying to Raipur to attend the party's plenary session and was arrested soon after by the Assam Police in connection with an FIR over his alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Supreme Court, however, provided him relief by releasing him on interim bail till February 28. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at the government for the arrest, claiming that it is part of a pattern. "Notice is given to opposition members if they raise issues in Parliament and Enforcement Directorate raids are conducted on our leaders in Chhattisgarh before the plenary session," he said.
"Today our media chairman (Khera) was forcibly deplaned and arrested. The Modi government has reduced India's democracy to 'Hitler-shahi'. We strongly condemn this dictatorship," Kharge tweeted in Hindi. Congress leader K C Venugopal accused the BJP of targeting the party's plenary session and asked if India has become a banana republic. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav slammed the BJP, saying this is the way it works as the "ruling party has no faith in law, constitution and democracy". It spends so much money on social media to target him, he alleged, noting that a member of his party was arrested for speaking against the BJP.