NCP neta in row for Indira remark

Maha minister says Indira tried to ‘throttle’ democracy, retracts later

Maharashtra housing minister and senior NCP leader Jitendra Awhad has withdrawn his earlier statement in the wake of the sharp reaction from the Congress.

Mr Awhad on Wednesday said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had tried to “throttle” democracy by imposing the Emergency.

Former chief minister and PWD minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Ashok Chavan warned of “giving a befitting reply” over the NCP leader’s remarks against the former P.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Awhad, whose party is an alliance partner in the MVA government, criticised veteran Congress leader and former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi for muzzling the voices of students.

Addressing a programme organised by the “Sanvidhan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti” in Beed Wednesday, Mr Awhad said that Indira Gandhi had also strangulated democracy by imposing Emergency. During those days, nobody was ready to speak against her. But the

Opposition started from Ahmedabad and Patna owing to which she was defeated by the power of citizens. History would be repeated in Maharashtra and the country, he said.

Soon after, the NCP leader realised that what he said about Indira Gandhi was inappropriate and immediately released a video saying that his statements had been wrongly interpreted and taken out of context.

In the video, he said he was an admirer of Indira Gandhi. “I am an admirer of Indira Gandhi. I admire several of her decisions from the nationalisation of banks to the creation of Bangladesh and many more,” he said.

However, there was difference of opinion over the imposition of the emergency in 1975-77. There were two views on the emergency. One section felt that the imposition of emergency was right while another felt that their fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Constitution had been curbed, he said.

“I only compared that if Indira Gandhi can be defeated on suspicion of curbing of fundamental rights, who are Modi and Shah?” he said in the video.

◗ NCP leader Jitendra Awhad on Wednesday said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had tried to ‘throttle’ democracy by imposing the Emergency