The BJP on Tuesday criticised former Congress president Sonia Gandhi for allegedly attempting to justify the Emergency in her memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love", saying the book would have been better titled "Whitewashing".
BJP national spokesperson C R Kesavan alleged that the book sought to sugar-coat historical wrongs committed by the Nehru-Gandhi family and downplay the Congress party's past actions.
The BJP's remarks came on the day Gandhi's memoir was released. In the book, she reflects on the Emergency imposed in 1975, describing it as a mistake. She also writes that she believes her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi eventually came to share that view.
The Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson further observed that keeping her husband Rajiv Gandhi's brother, Sanjay Gandhi, in check could have prevented much of the damage caused by the Emergency.
Reacting to her remarks, Kesavan said, "Sonia Gandhi could have titled her memoir as 'Whitewashing' instead of 'Belonging', because the motive of this book appears to be sugar coating the historical wrongs perpetrated by the Nehru Gandhi family and camouflaging the cardinal sins committed by the Congress party."
He also questioned her references to the Babri Masjid, asking whether she had expressed similar concern over the killing of thousands of people during the 1984 anti-Sikh violence.
Referring to the Batla House encounter, Kesavan questioned her alleged expressions of sympathy for the accused and asked whether she had shown similar concern for CRPF personnel killed in the line of duty.
He also raised questions about the Congress-led UPA government's response to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, asking why it had failed to retaliate.
Kesavan further accused Gandhi of attempting to justify and normalise the Emergency, which he described as a period when the Constitution was undermined and fundamental rights were suspended.
He alleged that the Congress's nearly 55 years in power at the Centre had caused significant damage to Indian democracy and said the country was grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for correcting what he termed the historical wrongs committed by the party.
(With inputs from PTI)