The Supreme Court on Monday extended till March 3 the interim protection to Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who is facing criminal prosecution for a remark he had made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the Assam and Uttar Pradesh governments sought time to file their replies on clubbing of the cases filed in the respective states.

On February 23, Assam police arrested Khera from the tarmac at Delhi airport when he was leaving for Raipur to attend the Congress plenary.

The court, however, restrained the police from taking Khera to Assam and he was granted interim bail.

The February 23 interim order was to end on Tuesday. When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, both solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Assam, and Uttar Pradesh’s additional advocate-general Garima Prasad sought time to file their replies.

The bench headed by Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, in its order said Assam and Uttar Pradesh would file their affidavits within this week and that Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners, would file the rejoinder affidavit before the next date of listing — March 3.

The bench also included Justices P. S. Narasimha and J. B. Pardiwala.

The court had on February 23 issued notices to Assam and Uttar Pradesh for clubbing the three separate FIRs registered against Khera to be tried at one place.

Khera had ascribed to Modi the middle name of “Gautamdas”, appearing to refer to the Prime Minister’s proximity with industrialist Gautam Adani.