On Tuesday, in a digital conference, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the imposition of Emergency by his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was rather a “mistake”.

While attending a conference, in a conversation with Professor Kaushik Basu of Cornwell University, US, Rahul Gandhi shared that whatever happened during that period was “wrong”, but that was fundamentally different from the current situation. Congress did not try to capture ever the institutional framework of the country.

He quoted –

“I think that was a mistake. Absolutely, that was a mistake. And my grandmother said as much”

A little flashback about Emergency

The Emergency was imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi for a period of 21 months in the year 1975 which lasted till 1977. In this period the fundamental rights of citizens were restrained.

While taking the discussion further, the Congress party leader further added that his party has never misused India’s institutional structure.

Pointing to the BJP, Rahul Gandhi reported that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is doing something “fundamentally different” and is putting its people in all the nation’s institutions.

Accordingly, he also said that even if the BJP is defeated in the elections, getting clearance of its people in the institutional structure is absolute impossible task now.

Rahul Gandhi further disclosed that he was criticized and attacked by his party members for seeking election in the party at the level of Youth Congress and NSUI.

“I am the first person who says democratic elections within the party is absolutely critical,”

he said.

However, Rahul wondered why no questions were raised on parties like Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party who have a lack of internal democracy.

He said that this question of internal democracy is raised for Congress because the Congress is an ideological party whose ideology is of the Constitution and equality.

Talking further, when Rahul was asked about his father’s death, the Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (1991) he replied,

“My father’s death made me understand the true meaning of Violence”

Rahul Gandhi shared that he quite knew the death of his father was coming as he was fighting several forces at that time.

In his conversation with the Professor, Gandhi also criticized the BJP government for controlling the media and judiciary.