BJP hails rejection of bail to Pawan Khera, attacks Rahul Gandhi for backing him

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday welcomed the Gauhati High Court's rejection of the anticipatory bail plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case filed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife over alleged forged documents, and attacked Rahul Gandhi for backing him.

In a video post on X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticised Khera and described the court order as another setback for the Congress leader.

"This is yet another setback for him, as he had created a controversy based on falsehoods," he said.

Poonawalla also trained his guns on Gandhi for supporting Khera and demanded an apology from the Congress leader.

"Rahul Gandhi, who backed Khera, should also apologise," he said.

He alleged that Khera is avoiding the investigation and advised him to cooperate with the authorities.

"Now, Khera, who was projected as a 'lion' (babbar sher) by Gandhi, is silent like a meek cat (bheegi billi). He is hiding and running away; he should appear before the Assam Police," he said.

The BJP spokesperson also pointed out that Khera failed to secure relief from higher courts.

"He did not get any relief from the Supreme Court either. The Supreme Court reprimanded him and told him to approach the Gauhati High Court. The relief he had obtained from the Telangana High Court on the basis of false documents was not extended," he said.

Poonawalla alleged that Khera attempted the "political assassination" of the Assam chief minister with manipulated documents at the behest of Islamabad.

"Pawan Khera targeted the Assam chief minister and Assam's daughter -- his wife -- on the basis of fake documents, forged material, and photoshopped documents.

"All this was done at the behest of Islamabad, Pakistan, with the intention of politically assassinating Himanta Biswa Sarma. This is a case of forgery. It is a criminal matter," he said.

The Gauhati High Court on Friday rejected Khera's bail petition in connection with his allegations that Assam chief minister's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possessed multiple passports and undisclosed properties abroad.

The single bench of Justice Parthiv Jyoti Saikia rejected Khera's anticipatory bail application filed on Monday after he was asked by the Supreme Court to approach the Gauhati High Court, a lawyer representing the Congress leader said.

At a press conference on April 5, Khera had alleged that Sarma's wife held multiple passports and foreign assets that were not disclosed in the chief minister's election affidavit for the April 9 Assam Assembly polls.

Following the allegations, Sarma's wife filed a complaint against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station, leading to an FIR.

On April 10, the Telangana High Court granted him a seven-day transit anticipatory bail, followed by the Assam Police moving the Supreme Court against it.

On April 17, the top court refused to entertain Khera's plea and asked him to move a court of competent jurisdiction in Assam for anticipatory bail in the case.