Kejriwal Reacts to LK Advani's Emergency Remarks on Twitter
Published: 18th June 2015 04:03 PM | Last Updated: 18th June 2015 05:19 PM | A+A A-
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a gathering after launching an anti-corruption helpline in New Delhi, India, Sunday, April 5, 2015. (AP Photo)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reacted to BJP veteran LK Advani’s remarks on Emergency saying “Advani ji is correct in saying that emergency can’t be ruled out. Is Delhi their first experiment?.”
Earliar in an interview to a Delhi-based national daily, Lal Krishna Advani suggested that an Emergency-like situation cannot be ruled out in the future of India.
Kejriwal was referring to the tussle he has been facing in the past few weeks with the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung over the appointment and transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi.
“The guilt lies with Indira Gandhi and her government. It was a time when 1,10,000 people were put in jail. Yet there has been no real acknowledgement or apology,” LK Advani told in the interview.
"Advani ji is correct in saying that Emergency can't be ruled out. Is Delhi their first experiment?," Kejriwal tweeted. The Kejriwal dispensation has been engaged in a turf war with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and the Centre on transfers and postings of top officials as well as authority over Delhi Government's Anti-Corruption Branch.
As political circles speculated that Advani's comments were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AAP leader Ashutosh was more direct saying the remarks by the BJP veteran were "indictment of Modi's politics". "Advani's interview is first indictment of Modi's politics. He is saying democracy is not safe, Emergency is not far, under Modi's leadership," Ashutosh tweeted.
In an interview to Indian Express ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Emergency, Advani said "forces that can crush democracy are stronger" and that he will not say that it cannot happen again. In the years since the Emergency in 1975-77, he said, "I don't think anything has been done that gives the assurance that civil liberties will not be suspended or destroyed again. Not at all.
"Of course, no one can do it easily...But that it cannot happen again--I will not say that. It could be that fundamental liberties are curtailed again," he said. The bitter confrontation between AAP government and the Centre has led to an unprecedented situation of two Home Secretaries working in Delhi Government.
The Delhi Government had transfered Home Secretary Dharam Pal and appointed Rajendra Kumar in his place. However, Jung rejected Pal's transfer and asked him to continue while the Delhi Government directed Kumar to discharge his duties as Home Secretary. The Kejriwal government has been accusing the Centre of trying to run Delhi through the LG and render the elected dispensation redundant.
(With inputs from PIT)