Adjourning Pawan Khera’s plea for discharge in the case over his 2023 remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Supreme Court told the Congress leader’s lawyer, who pressed for an early date, to “learn to be detached”.
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on Congress leader Pawan Khera’s plea seeking discharge in a criminal case arising from his 2023 remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the State of Uttar Pradesh informed the Court that a letter seeking adjournment had been circulated [Pawan Khera v. State of Uttar Pradesh].
The matter was listed before a Bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe.
‘Learn to be detached’
Counsel for Khera urged the Court to take up the matter, submitting that it had been urgent “from day one”, and asked that it be listed on Friday. She pointed out that Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi was appearing in the case and that the matter had been mentioned on the previous date.
As counsel repeatedly pressed for the matter to be taken up, Justice Narasimha told her:
“First of all, learn to be detached. As a lawyer, you should be detached. Don’t get personally involved.”
Counsel apologised, saying, “I agree, My Lord,” and asked the Court to pass an order on listing, noting that the Bench had earlier asked her to mention the matter on Monday. “All right, all right. We’ll tell you, we’ll list it up some other day,” the Court said, adjourning the matter.
The Pawan Khera Discharge Plea Case
The case arises from a 2023 press conference at which Khera referred to the Prime Minister as “Narendra Gautamdas Modi” instead of “Narendra Damodardas Modi”. The FIR alleges that he deliberately ridiculed the Prime Minister’s late father and hurt the sentiments of the people of the country.
In 2023, the Supreme Court clubbed all the FIRs registered against Khera and transferred them to the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow. In January 2024, a Bench of the Supreme Court refused to quash the FIRs, with the Solicitor General telling the Court that the trial had to go on.
In its counter affidavit, the State of Uttar Pradesh has said that Khera is seeking the Court’s indulgence to stall investigation into what it describes as deliberate defamatory utterances against one of the country’s highest constitutional functionaries, and that the only relief that survived was the clubbing of the FIRs. Khera, for his part, seeks to be discharged.
The allegations against Khera have not been tested at trial, and he is presumed innocent. The Court did not go into the merits on Monday.
Case Title: Pawan Khera v. State of Uttar Pradesh
Bench: Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe, Supreme Court of India
Date of Hearing: October 5, 2026