MUMBAI: In an apparent attempt to defend the imposition of Emergency by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday released its monthly magazine, ‘Janmanasachi Shidori’, justifying the move as a reaction to certain prevailing circumstances. It also alleged that the BJP is indulging in false propaganda related to the Emergency to malign tall Congress leaders.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal, while releasing the magazine, took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praised Indira Gandhi. The Congress magazine’s central theme revolves around the Emergency, titled, “From constitutional emergency (Indira Gandhi) to undeclared dictatorship (PM Narendra Modi)”, where Indira Gandhi’s written piece, “Why Emergency was imposed”, has also been published. Former journalist and ex-Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Ketkar has also penned an article titled, “Emergency saved the economy and people's lives.”
Moreover, the MPCC president wrote a piece titled, “Why Emergency was imposed and its factual reality,” while Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar contributed an article titled, “Not Emergency, but effective administration period.”
Interestingly, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has also contributed to this special issue of the magazine with his article, “Emergency in 1975 and Emergency in 2014 to 2025.” The Shidori issue includes several articles by top Congress leaders about what they called the 'prevailing undeclared Emergency' since 2014. The magazine's working editor, Duttatray Khandge, wrote the editorial defending the Emergency, saying that during this period, 20 great programmes were implemented, such as the nationalisation of banks.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal claimed that it was due to the then-prevailing circumstances in the country that Indira Gandhi had to decide to impose the Emergency.
“However, later, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi admitted that certain administrative errors occurred during that time. But the BJP continues to raise a hue and cry about it. RSS Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras supported the Emergency and even publicly distanced the RSS from Jayaprakash Narayan's movement. BJP should clarify whether they accept the stand taken by RSS leader Balasaheb,” he asked.
He further explained, “The decision to impose Emergency in 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was constitutional. Certain forces were attempting to create chaos in the country. Later, the Emergency was lifted, elections were held, and democratic processes were restored. During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi didn’t sell the country’s assets or hand over public sector enterprises to industrialists."
"But for the past 11 years, there has been an undeclared Emergency in the country. Airports, ports, mines, banks, and government lands are being sold off to favoured industrialists. Even Dharavi’s land has been sold,” the Congress leader alleged.
He alleged that the BJP is trying to replace the national emblem with Sengol, pointing out government-issued advertisements.
“In the government ads, the national emblem is missing, replaced by the Sengol. There’s no need to elaborate what Sengol symbolizes. The BJP wants to dismantle democracy and the Constitution and implement Golwalkar’s ‘Bunch of Thoughts’,” alleged Sapkal.