A major drama unfolded on Thursday at Delhi Airport in front of an IndiGo plane that a Congress delegation was about to board to reach Raipur.
As Congress leader Pawan Khera was reportedly deboarded from the plane, the entire delegation started ‘BJP hai hai’ slogans.
आज इंडिगो की फ्लाइट 6E-204 से कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता दिल्ली से रायपुर जा रहे थे।
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 23, 2023
सभी फ्लाइट में बैठ चुके थे, उसी वक्त हमारे नेता @Pawankhera जी को फ्लाइट से उतरने को कहा गया।
ये तानाशाही रवैया है।
तानाशाह ने अधिवेशन से पहले ED के छापे मरवाए और अब इस तरह की हरकत पर उतर आया। pic.twitter.com/WJTkivIHWa
In the video emerging from the airport, Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate, Randeep Singh Surjewala, KC Venugopal can also be seen in the delegation. Recently, Pawan Khera was criticised for referring to Narendra Damodardas Modi as Narendra Gautamdas Modi, in a press conference attacking the government on the Gautam Adani issue.
Police claimed that there was a request received from the Assam Police to stop Pawan Khera from flying.
Protest by @INCIndia members and leaders on the Tarmac of Delhi Airport. #PawanKhera pic.twitter.com/P8R4XPDvaW
— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) February 23, 2023
“We are all on the @IndiGo6E flight 6E 204 to Raipur and all of a sudden my colleague @Pawankhera has been asked to deplane. What sort of high handedness is this? Is there any rule of law? On what grounds is this being done and under whose order?” Surpita Shrinate tweeted.
“This is a dictatorial attitude. The dictator got ED raids done before the session and now he has come down to this kind of act,” the Congress tweeted. The leaders were reaching Raipur to attend the 85th plenary session of the Congress. On Monday, the ED raided the premises linked to at least eight Congress leaders and office bearers in Chhattisgarh in an alleged money laundering case.
“We all were flying to Raipur. When we were all set to start, Pawan Khera ji was asked to deboard the plane. He was told that there was a mix-up with his luggage. But he did not have any luggage with him. After he got down, he was told that he was deplaned and will be served a notice by the CISF,” Supriya Shrinate said.
Protest by @INCIndia members and leaders on the Tarmac of Delhi Airport. #PawanKhera pic.twitter.com/P8R4XPDvaW
— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) February 23, 2023
“Unless the plane flies with all of us, including Pawan Khera ji, we will be here. We won’t tolerate this dictatorship,” Shrinate said. Now the Congress members are sitting on the tarmac and raising slogans against the government.
“I don’t know what happened. I was told there was some issue with my luggage. I told I don’t have any luggage, I am just carrying a handbag. As I got down, I was told that I can’t fly as the DCP is coming to meet. Now I am waiting for the last 20 minutes for the DCP,” Pawan Khera said.
In a statement, IndiGo said, “A passenger was deplaned by the police at the Delhi airport from a Raipur-bound flight. Some other passengers also decided to deboard on their own accord. We are following the advice of the concerned authorities. The flight is delayed as of now.”
