Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has made a big statement.
Rahul Gandhi has said that the Emergency imposed the Country back in 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was a ‘mistake’.
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Rahul Gandhi made this statement on Tuesday while taking part in a conversation with renowned economist Kaushik Basu.
“I think that was a mistake. Absolutely, that was a mistake. And my grandmother (Indira Gandhi) said as much,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“(But) the Congress at no point attempted to capture India’s institutional framework… frankly, it does not even have that capability,” Rahul Gandhi added.
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The Emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977.
The Congress has often been criticised for the Emergency over the years.
Rahul Gandhi also said that the Emergency period – during which time constitutional rights and civil liberties were suspended, the media was severely restricted and many opposition leaders were jailed, was “fundamentally different from the current scenario”.
Lashing out at the BJP, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the RSS is doing something “fundamentally different” and filling up the institutions of the country with its people.
“Even if the BJP would be defeated in the election, it is an impossible task to get rid of their people in the institutional structure,” Rahul Gandhi added.
LIVE: My interaction with Prof Kaushik Basu @Cornell University https://t.co/GfErZtSpW2
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 2, 2021
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Rahul Gandhi further revealed that he was criticised by Congress leaders for demanding elections in the party at the Youth Congress and NSUI levels.
“I am the first person who says democratic elections within the party is absolutely critical,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Gandhi, however, wondered why nobody raises questions on the BJP, the BSP and the SP regarding “lack of internal democracy”.
He added that the question on internal democracy is raised for the Congress because “we are an ideological party whose ideology is that of the Constitution and of equality”.