Emergency-like situation in future can’t be ruled out: LK Advani

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, June 18, 2015: At a time when his Bharatiya Janata Party is in power at the Centre, veteran leader LK Advani has sought to ruffle feathers by saying that an Emergency-like situation in future could not be ruled out.

“At the present point of time, the forces that can crush democracy, notwithstanding the constitutional and legal safeguards, are stronger,” Advani said, in remarks that are bound to create controversy as his tumultuous relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no secret.

The senior BJP leader made the remarks in an interview with The Indian Express, just days ahead of the 40th anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency on June 25, 1975.

Advani said the country’s political system has still not come to terms with the Emergency of 1975.

Since the imposition of Emergency during 1975-77, “I don’t think anything has been done that gives me the assurance that civil liberties will not be suspended or destroyed again. Not at all,” Advani told the English daily.

“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 added.

Stating why the same situation could arise again, he said: “I do not see any sign in our polity that assures me, any outstanding aspect of leadership. A commitment to democracy and to all other aspects related to democracy is lacking.”

Advani said he was not implying that the Indian political leadership was immature. However, he added that because of its inherent weaknesses he is not able to have faith in the political system.

“I don’t have the confidence that it (Emergency) cannot happen again,” he stated.

Noting that the Emergency was imposed in 1975 by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi despite having constitutional safeguards in place, the veteran leader stressed that “there aren’t enough safeguards in India in 2015”.

But he did add that the Emergency of 1975 could save India from recurrence of such a situation. “The aftermath of the Emergency having been an election in which the party that imposed the Emergency lost very badly, would always be a deterrent for future rulers who think of repeating what was done in the 1970s.”

 

AAP claims Advani interview indicates veteran has lost faith in current BJP leadership

Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh on Thursday claimed that a recent interview given by veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani was indicative of his dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the party, and added that they feel that the veteran fears that the country is being pushed towards an Emergency-like situation.

"This has a political context and clearly indicates that Advani has no faith in the BJP Government and no faith in the leadership of Narendra Modi, and he clearly visualises that under the leadership of the BJP, the government is everyday crushing democracy and creating a situation, an ambience, where the Emergency is not far," Ashutosh told ANI.

"I am reminded of his blog when Modi was to be made the prime ministerial candidate of BJP in 2013: at that he discussed Mussolini, Hitler, Fascism and dictatorship. He wrote to the then-BJP president Rajnath Singh, saying that the party has moved away from Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is fulfilling the personal interest of one individual. He also hinted that Modi was not good for Indian democracy," he added.

Advani had earlier in an interview to an English daily said that he did not see any sign in India’s polity that assured him of any outstanding aspect of leadership, adding that he did not have the confidence that a situation like the Emergency would not be repeated in the country.

 

Courtesy: Zeenews