New Delhi: The Congress on Friday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to grant anticipatory bail to party leader Pawan Khera in a
defamation case and said the law stands above all, no matter how powerful one may be.
The top court granted pre-arrest bail to Khera in a case related to making allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, saying the matter appears to have stemmed from political rivalry.
Addressing a press conference, Congress senior spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the Supreme Court verdict reminds all that when personal liberty is at stake, the courts remain our ultimate bedrock of hope.
He also urged the Assam Chief Minister to reconsider whether it is befitting of a person holding a constitutional position to use such language against Khera and express regret.
“We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court. The Congress party, my colleagues, and I hail the Supreme Court’s verdict and commend its promptness,” Singhvi said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said today’s decision is the victory of the Constitution, which is under attack under the BJP regime.
“Today, the Constitution has emerged victorious. The Modi government attacks the Constitution every day, but today constitutional values and provisions have prevailed. We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision,” Ramesh said.
Singhvi said this case reminds us that when reputational damage is an issue, arrest should not be the first but the last resort. In this case, he alleged, the clear intention was to humiliate and harass Khera for the allegations he made against the chief minister during the poll process.
“Can you achieve the objects of proper investigation without arrest? Is arrest the only way I can investigate his alleged defamatory comment? That if I do not arrest him and custodial interrogate him, he will flee.
“Arrest is the only way because I will not be able to summon him and sit with him and interrogate him without arrest. Arrest is the only way because he will tamper with documents or with witnesses,” Singhvi said, adding that the sole intention of arresting Khera was to humiliate and harass him.
The Congress leader said the apex court quoted the chief minister of Assam in three pages, even when there are such things that neither the court can quote nor can anyone speak about.
