Pawan Khera
Pawan Khera | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| Assumed office 21 June 2026 | |
| Constituency | Karnataka |
| Chairman All India Congress Committee Media and Publicity Department | |
| Assumed office 18 June 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 July 1968 (age 57) Delhi, India |
| Party | Indian National Congress[1][2] |
| Spouse | Kota Neelima |
| Occupation |
|
Pawan Khera (born 31 July 1968) is an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress party. He served as the political advisor to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. He is a Member of parliament in Rajya Sabha since June 2026. He is the chairman of the media and publicity wing of the Indian National Congress party.[3][4][5][6]
Pawan Khera was appointed as a member of the Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE), formed by the Indian National Congress on 2 February 2025 to monitor the conduct of free and fair elections by the Election Commission.[7][8]
Political career
[edit]He worked as a social activist before joining as political secretary to former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.[9][10]
Dispute over Himanta Biswa Sarma allegations
[edit]On 5 April 2026, in the midst of 2026 Assembly Elections, Pawan Khera made allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, including that his wife held multiple passports, foreign properties, and a foreign company listed in the United States.[citation needed] Khera alleged Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, held three passports additional to an Indian passport, including the United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt. She was also accused of owning two properties in Dubai and having Rs. 52,000 crores worth of assets in a firm registered in the state of Wyoming.
Both Biswa Sarma and Riniki Bhuyan immediately reacted by rejecting these allegations as “malicious, fabricated and politically motivated”.[11][12][13]
This was followed by Himanta's wife getting an FIR registered against Pawan Khera at Crime Branch of Panbazar Police Station in Guwahati.[14][15]
Khera initially approached the Telangana High Court, which on April 10 2026 granted him one week's transit anticipatory bail to enable him to seek regular relief before the competent court in Assam. On April 15, the Supreme Court of India stayed the operation of the transit anticipatory bail. Following this, Khera moved the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The High Court rejected the plea, holding that custodial interrogation was necessary to ascertain the source of the documents relied upon by Khera. Later The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to Khera.[16]
Later in May 2026, Pawan Khera was questioned by Assam Crime Branch for long hours continuously for two days, while he has been called for questioning the third time, and other Congress leaders like Randeep Surjewala have also been called for questioning. [17][18][19][20]
Personal life
[edit]Pawan Khera is married to Indian writer and politician Kota Neelima.[21][22]
References
[edit]- ^ "Congress appoints Pawan Khera as chairman of media and publicity". NIndia Today. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ "Pawan Khera: The backroom boy who embraced limelight as voice of Congress". Indian express. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- ^ "Pawan Khera KEY FACTS". Hamari Web. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ "Rajya Sabha Elections 2026 Winners: Mallikarjun Kharge, Tarun Chugh Among 22 MPs Elected Unopposed". News 18. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ^ "राज्यसभा चुनाव- 26 में से 23 उम्मीदवार निर्विरोध जीते:इनमें मल्लिकार्जुन खड़गे और पवन खेड़ा शामिल; 3 सीटों पर 18 जून को वोटिंग". Bhaskar. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ^ "War over Aam Aadmi Party's poster campaign against Sheila". The Times of India. 2013-06-27. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
- ^ "Congress forms panel to monitor 'conduct of free and fair elections". The Hindu. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ "Press Releases regarding appointment of Shri Pawan Khera as AICC Observer". Indian National Congress. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ "Court acquits CM in defamation case filed by Dikshit's former aide". The Hindu. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ "शीला के पीएस, प्रणव मुखर्जी के दूत; कांग्रेस में कैसे पावरफुल होते गए पवन खेड़ा?". ABP News. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ "Congress alleges Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife holds 3 passports, including 2 from Muslim countries; Assam CM reacts". The Statesman. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
- ^ "Politically motivated lies". Times of India. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
- ^ "'Malicious, fabricated lies': Himanta Biswa Sarma rejects Pawan Khera's 'passport' claims, to file defamation cases". India Today NE. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
- ^ "UAE Golden visa, Dubai properties and LLM rock Assam politics – Himanta Sarma invokes St Kitts case to counter Cong". Financial Express. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ "Assam: CM Sarma cites 'Pakistan link' behind Congress' allegations against wife; FIR filed". India TV. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ "Supreme Court grants pre-arrest bail to Pawan Khera in Assam case". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ "Assam Crime Branch Summons Randeep Surjewala In Pawan Khera Case Probe". NDTV. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ^ "Pawan Khera appears before Assam police Crime Branch". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ^ "Pawan Khera questioned till night by Assam cops for remarks on CM Himanta's wife". Indian Express. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ^ "Assam Crime Branch summons Randeep Surjewala in CM Himanta's wife passport row". New Indian Express. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ^ "Defamatory rant: Pawan Khera's wife denies Congress foreign funding nexus claim". India Today. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ^ "In Fresh Attack, BJP Accuses Pawan Khera's Wife Of Holding 2 Active Voter IDs". NDTV. Retrieved 2026-04-30.