11 hours ago
‘Satyagraha was reality check for Indira Gandhi'
Nagpur: Former Member of Parliament and former national vice-president of BJP, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, on Wednesday launched a sharp critique of the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, calling it a dark chapter in India's democratic journey.
He said Gandhi was under the illusion that the Emergency had been accepted by the people, until the nationwide satyagraha, spearheaded by Jayaprakash Narayan and supported heavily by the RSS, exposed the truth.
Addressing the media in the city on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Sahasrabuddhe said, "Indira Gandhi believed there was no opposition to her rule because that's what those around her told her. But when the satyagraha began, it served as a reality check.
Over 1.3 lakh people joined the protest, out of which nearly 1.1 lakh were from the RSS and its affiliated organisations."
He added that the Emergency was not just about political suppression, but an attempt to manipulate the democratic structure of the country. "To consolidate power and maintain control, Indira Gandhi went as far as amending the Constitution, extending the term of the Lok Sabha from five to six years.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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This was not just undemocratic; it was an abuse of power," Sahasrabuddhe said.
Quoting former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said, "Indira Gandhi saw a conspiracy behind every tree. That fear is what drove her to impose the Emergency." He further recalled that international observers had ranked India's democracy below even Haiti during that period.
Sahasrabuddhe, a political science academic, said that one of the key lessons from the Emergency was the danger posed by dynastic political parties.
"It was all done to keep her family in power," he claimed, adding that true democracy thrives on debate, not blind obedience. "Those who demand freedom of speech today must also reflect on their silence during the Emergency."
Hitting back at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks that the BJP is a threat to the Constitution, he said that the fact that Kharge can speak freely today is proof that freedom of speech has been preserved since the Emergency. "The govt at that time tried to silence the voice of leaders like LK Advani, but today anyone can say what they feel," Sahasrabuddhe said, rebuffing Kharge's allegations as frivolous.
Calling the period a "black chapter" in the history of independent India, Sahasrabuddhe emphasised the need for continuous political reform and advocated for ideas like "One Nation, One Election" to strengthen democracy further.
