Congress defends Indira legacy, compares Modi to Aurangzeb
It accused govt of raking up old event to distract attention from pressing issues
NEW DELHI: The Congress has defended the legacy of Indira Gandhi, the former prime minister, in the face of a scathing attack by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party on the anniversary of the ‘state of Emergency’, a 21-month period from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977, when Gandhi amassed unbridled powers by suspending the Constitution.
The party accused the Modi government of targeting the Congress and raking up a 43-year-old event to distract attention from pressing issues.
It also alleged that his rule was worse than that of the Mughal ruler, Aurangzeb.
“There is an undeclared emergency under the Modi government. Our nation has been in a state of emergency for the last 49 months since the Modi-led BJP government came to power,” Congress spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala, said at a press conference.
The Congress said there was an atmosphere of fear and coercion under the Modi government, amid atrocities on Dalits and tribals, and killing of protesting farmers by the police.
Defending Indira Gandhi, the party spokesperson said she had fought an all-round battle against poverty.
“Indira Gandhi fought a battle to end privy purses of the privileged elite who were backed by Jan Sangh.” Jan Sangh is the predecessor of the BJP.
The Congress said Gandhi struggled to bring land reforms and abolish zamindari or landlordism in the country at a time when their interests were protected by the Jan Sangh.
Surjewala said Gandhi nationalised banks to free them from the clutches of a private moneyed class which opened these financial institutions for the poor. Gandhi also cracked down on black marketeers, usurious lenders and profiteers, he added.
Surjewala said Modi was a “worse dictator” than “Aurangzeb”. “Delhi Sultanate’s dictator Modi, who is even crueller than Aurangzeb, today gave lessons to the country on the Emergency imposed 43 years ago...aurangzeb had made his father hostage. Today’s Aurangzeb, Modi, has made not only his party but the entire democracy hostage.”
Responding to the comparison and charge, BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said, “Today was an occasion when the Congress should have rendered an apology for having imposed Emergency. Instead, they restarted abusing the PM. This is unfortunate and shows the mindset of the Congress. They seem to have a strong association with Aurangzeb.
Mani Shankar Aiyar had once suggested that like Aurangzeb replaced Shahjahan as the king, Rahul Gandhi too was natural claimant for the throne.”
Surjewala also said the Congress struggled against the hoarders at the time and today, Modi's 'suit-boot sarkar' was working to protect the interests of crony capitalists.
"Will merely hitting out at the Congress cover up Modi’s lies? Will cursing Indiraji provide farmers with 50% profit? Will abusing Congress help provide two crore jobs per year to the youth in the country? Will merely speaking of what happened 43 years ago bring back ~80 lakh crore of black money into the country and will ~15 lakh get deposited in the accounts of each citizen? Will merely criticising rivals stop the violence and atrocities against women and Dalits stop?" Surjewala asked.