3 min readNew DelhiMay 1, 2026 07:44 PM IST
As Congress leader Pawan Khera was granted anticipatory bail in a defamation case over his remarks against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the Congress praised the Supreme Court order saying the law stands above all, no matter how powerful one may be.
A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Atul Chandurkar, which took note of the statements by Khera and Himanta Biswa Sarma, said in its April 30 order that the “allegations and counter-allegations… prima facie, appear to be politically motivated…” and that “criminal process must be applied with objectivity and circumspection so as to ensure that individual liberty is not imperilled by proceedings that may be coloured by political rivalry”.
Addressing a press conference, Congress Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi said the SC verdict reminds all that when personal liberty is at stake, the courts remain our ultimate bedrock of hope.
Singhvi also urged Sarma to reconsider whether it is befitting of a person holding a constitutional post to use such language against Khera and express regret.
Sarma reacted to Singhvi’s remarks and said that he doesn’t “need lessons on democracy, public discourse or decency from anyone, especially” from Singhvi.
Singhvi said the case against Khera 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 [Assam] chief minister during the poll process.
“I would urge the Hon’ble Assam CM to reconsider his stand, irrespective of Monday’s outcome, especially in light of the remarks quoted in the judgment. The Supreme Court has cited several of his public statements, many of which are deeply inappropriate and lower the standards of our democracy,” Singhvi said.
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Meanwhile, Sarma, reacted to Singhvi’s remarks, saying that “decency and him (Singhvi) can never be in the same room”. “The real issue here pertains to a woman who has nothing to do with politics … her character assassinated on national television using forged documents from other countries,” said Sarma.
“I am confident the courts will take note of this, sooner or later and the guilty will be punished for his brazen act of maligning a woman’s character using false documents to influence electoral outcomes,” added Sarma.
