BJP's Emergency victims demand apology as Rahul concedes Indira Gandhi's step was 'wrong'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose leaders have been a victim of the 1975 Emergency, were not impressed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he admitted that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's decisions were "wrong". 

Nearly four decades after the Emergency period - during which constitutional rights and civil liberties were suspended, the media was severely restricted and many opposition leaders were imprisoned - Rahul Gandhi accepted that his grandmother made a "mistake." 

"I think that was a mistake. Absolutely, that was a mistake. And my grandmother (Indira Gandhi) said as much. (But) the Congress at no point attempted to capture India's institutional framework... frankly, it does not even have that capability," he said during a virtual conversation with renowned economist Kaushik Basu. 

The ruling BJP, whose leaders were among those jailed during the Emergency, have said that admitting to a crime is not enough and the party should come forward and apologise to all those whose lives were affected during the 21 month-long-period. 

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BJP unsparing on Congress over Emergency

Stating that the Congress leader's statement came too late, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan revealed that he was imprisoned as a child during the dark phase but the Gandhi family did not admit to the mistake until he turned 61. 

"The problem with Rahul Gandhi is that he thinks very late. I went to jail during an emergency I was a child, now when he gave the statement I am 61. Although better late than never," Chouhan said. 

BJP MP Vishwas Sarang also said that he has been the victim of emergency, as his father was imprisoned for 14 months during that period. "Terming it as a mistake is not enough, you should come among people and apologise for it," he added. 

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Blaming the Congress for many grave incidents of the past including the Sikh riots and Bhagalpur massacre, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Emergency led to the death of many, and it cannot be forgiven. "Congress party is a bundle of mistakes. He is giving statements to hide his party faults, which is not going to work," Naqvi exclaimed. 

Former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta also recalled being jailed at the age of 13 in Gurdaspur during the Emergency and hit out at the Congress for its 'dictatorship.' He also claimed that Rahul Gandhi's sudden submission was "sympathy gaining stunt" ahead of elections. 

Meanwhile, former Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar said if the party believes that the 1975 Emergency was a crime then the state government should resume the pension of the fighters who were jailed during the period. 

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