Congress has Emergency mindset: BJP; Modi, Shah have hijacked govt, party: Congress

New Delhi: BJP has said ‘Congress still had the Emergency mindset’, on the 45{+t}{+h} anniversary of Emergency, and was controlled by one family. Congress hit back by alleging that BJP has been hijacked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.

Modi tweeted his tribute to those who suffered during Emergency. He attached a clip of his Mann Ki Baat which said: “When Emergency was imposed its opposition was not limited to political class. The movement was not confined to jails. There was anguish among the people, an urge to return to democracy that was lost. During Emergency citizens felt that something was snatched away from them. Something that he had never used was taken away. To run the country, Constitution, laws, rules and regulations as well as duties and responsibilities are needed. India can say democracy is inherent in our values and is our heritage.” Shah said though democracy was restored it “remained absent in Congress. The interests of one family prevailed over party interests and national interests. This sorry state of affairs thrives in today’s Congress too!”

He referred to a ET report on the CWC meet and said “during the recent CWC meet, senior members and younger members raised few issues. But, they were shouted down. A party spokesperson was unceremoniously sacked. The sad truth is leaders feel suffocated in Congress”.

Congress retorted by saying BJP and the government were run by just Modi and Shah. “Amit Shah along with Modi has hijacked BJP and NDA government with no breather for other leaders. They are not fit to question democratic values of Congress party and CWC. As Advani once said in 2015 ‘forces that can crush democracy are stronger…I don’t have the confidence it (Emergency) cannot happen again’,” Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said in response. AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala added “BJP needs to answer: Why is its majoritarian rule described as ‘government of two people only’ and all others as mere sidekicks? Why is horse-trading, mass defections and institution capture its only legacy? Why is it obsessed in its vile hatred of Nehru-Gandhis?” He added: “And so spoke those, who occupied present positions by forcibly retiring and humiliating every patriarch and colleague who built them. And the list is long — LK Advani, MM Joshi, Keshubhai Patel, Kalraj Mishra, Sushma Swaraj, Haren Pandya, Sanjay Joshi.”