Kiren Rijiju slammed the Congress, contrasting Indira Gandhi’s ‘bluntness’ on the Emergency with the party’s current ‘shortcomings’. His jibe came after Rahul Gandhi questioned linking the Women’s Reservation Bill to the delimitation exercise.
Rijiju Slams Congress, Praises Indira Gandhi’s ‘Bluntness’
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a sharp swipe at the Congress leadership, contrasting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s “bluntness” in admitting her actions during the Emergency with what he termed the current party’s failure to realise its own “shortcomings.”
Taking to social media platform X, Rijiju shared an old interview of Indira Gandhi where she defended the imposition of the 1975 Emergency and the arrest of opposition leaders. “Although… we do not agree with the policies and the steps taken by the former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi ji, she was blunt in admitting the actions that she had taken. Now, Congress party is not even realising their own errors & shortcomings,” Rijiju stated.
Indira Gandhi’s Justification for Emergency
In the video shared by the Minister, Indira Gandhi is seen justifying the arrest of Morarji Desai and other opposition figures, alleging they were “destroying democracy.” “Because they felt they could not win an election, they said, ‘We must take the battle to the streets.’ Mr. Morarji Desai is on record… having said, ‘We are going to surround the Prime Minister’s house, we are going to surround Parliament, we will see that no business is done. Neither the Prime Minister can come out, nobody can go in,'” Indira Gandhi said in the clip.
She further claimed that an opposition member had threatened to “win by the bullet” if they could not win by the ballot. The former Prime Minister also addressed the “conspiracy” behind the Emergency, suggesting both internal upheaval and foreign destabilisation. “The whole… subcontinent has been destabilised. Had it been only internal with no foreign interference, one could have dealt with it in a much easier way,” she remarked in the interview.
When questioned why foreign interference wasn’t explicitly mentioned in her letter to the President at the time, she replied, “Why should one mention everything? No, one doesn’t mention everything at any time… it’s very obvious when people have followed the doings of international agencies.”
Spar Over Women’s Reservation Bill
Rijiju’s remark comes after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s challenge for Congress’ “unconditional support to Women’s Reservation Bill,” questioning the Centre for linking the implementation of the legislation to the delimitation exercise in the Lok Sabha.
Reiterating Congress’ stance, Rahul Gandhi demanded the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 “without any conditions.” “Mr Rijiju, who would know better than you, as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs–that the Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 has already been passed unanimously, with the full support of the Congress. The question is, why has it still not been implemented even after three years, and why do you now want to unnecessarily link it to delimitation? Implement the 2023 law. Without any conditions,” Gandhi posted on X.
Earlier today, Kiren Rijiju had challenged the Congress to support the Women’s Reservation Bill unconditionally after Rahul Gandhi’s call for freedom of expression for women. The Opposition has demanded delinking of women’s reservation from the delimitation exercise.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was passed in both Houses of Parliament, but failed to move ahead with implementation after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill fell in the Lok Sabha on April 17, not being able to receive the constitutionally required two-thirds majority of members present and voting. The Bill proposed the implementation of the 33 per cent women’s reservation in legislatures and delimitation in the Lok Sabha. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)