Pawan Khera tenders 'unconditional apology' for remarks against PM Modi

Khera was arrested on Thursday by Assam Police in connection with an FIR over alleged remarks against PM Modi

Congress leader Pawan Khera tendered unconditional apology, Assam CM and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. Khera was arrested on Thursday in New Delhi for his alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The majesty of law shall always prevail. The accused has tendered an unconditional apology. We hope that by keeping the sanctity of public spaces, no one will use uncivilised language in political discourse hereafter," Sarma tweeted on Friday morning.

Sarma, however, stated that Assam police will take the case to its "logical conclusion."

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Khera was deboarded from an aircraft at Delhi airport on Thursday and was subsequently arrested by a team of Assam police. The Congress leader was arrested in connection with a case registered at Haflong police station in Assam's Dima Hasao district. The FIR was lodged by a local BJP leader.

Khera had reportedly fumbled while taking the name of Prime Minister Modi's late father, during a press conference in Mumbai on February 17.

Similar FIRs were also lodged against Khera at Hazratganj police station at Lucknow and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested when Congress leaders were heading towards Chhattisgarh capital Raipur to attend the party's Plenary Session. The Congress leaders staged a protest in the tarmac of the airport following Khera's arrest.

Khera, however, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court later on Thursday.

The Assam CM posted a copy of the order in which the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Khera. The order said Khera's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the Supreme Court that the petitioner (Khera) clarified that the use of the language was inadvertent, though inappropriate, and that he would not stand by such language. Singhvi stated that Khera tendered unconditional apology.