New Delhi, June 18: Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch Lal Krishna Advani  spoke and  his party BJP as well as their mentors  the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were rushing to deflect talk  that his comments about an Emergency-like situation were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of governance.

“At the present point of time, the forces that can crush democracy, notwithstanding the constitutional and legal safeguards, are stronger,” Advani told The Indian Express in an interview.

Advani’s reference was the state of Emergency declared in June 1975 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. During the 21-month period up to March 1977, fundamental rights were suspended, scores of Opposition leaders detained and the media censored.

Advani, a former deputy prime minister, who had been jailed during the Emergency, said: “Of course, 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.”

Advani also said that he did not see any sign in the polity that assures him any outstanding aspect of leadership with a commitment to democracy and to all other aspects related to democracy is lacking.

“Today, I do not say that the political leadership is not mature. I don’t have faith because of its weaknesses. I don’t have the confidence that it (Emergency) cannot happen again.”

The Opposition was quick to latch on to Advani’s comments.

In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar echoed Advani’s concerns and claimed that Bihar was “facing it (an Emergency-like situation) on a daily basis”.

”Advani is among the senior-most leaders of BJP and his concerns should be considered seriously. As far as Emergency- like situation is concerned, we are facing it here on a daily basis,” Nitish said.

Though he did not elaborate on how Bihar was facing such a situation, he took the opportunity to attack the Modi government.

Nitish said: “Just see what kind of promises were made during the Lok Sabha polls and what has happened to them after they (BJP) came to power. They used to boast that they have completed one year and there have been no scams during the period, but see how many scams have started surfacing now.”

RSS ideologue M.G. Vaidya said Advani is a member of the BJP’s Magadarshak Mandal and he did not think he was sending a message to Modi.  ”I don’t feel anything like that. He (Advani) is quite senior in age and experience. So he can talk to Modi. He is in the ‘Margdarshak Mandal’ of BJP. I don’t think he has an intention of sending a message to Modi through this interview.”

BJP spokesperson M.J. Akbar also felt it was not aimed at individuals but at institutions. ”I think Advan-ji was referring to institutions rather than to individuals. I respect his views, but I personally don’t see Emergency, any chance of any Emergency being re-imposed in the country. I think that age is over, Indian democracy is too strong, much stronger now,” he said.

Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the “jury is out” from the ruling party itself and Advani was indeed hinting at an “Emergency-like” situation under Modi’s rule.

“It is obvious whom he is talking about, whose government is there, who is the Prime Minister. He knows it. But he is a statesman-like leader of the BJP. He did not want to name the Prime Minister. But whoever reads the interview, he/she would understand he is talking about Modi,” Vadakkan said.

Janata Dal (United) leader K.C. Tyagi, who was also imprisoned during the Emergency, said “I agree with Adavani-ji that circumstances like Emergency and context are still alive and the reasons lead to Emergency are not finished yet.”

Ashutosh, the Aam Aadmi Party leader whose party’s government in Delhi is locked in a battle with the Centre, said Advani’s statement clealy indicates that he has no faith in the BJP government and no faith in its leadership.

”He (Advani) clearly visualises that the leadership of Mr Modi and the government of BJP are every day crushing Indian democracy and creating a situation and ambience where emergency is not far,” he said.

[based on information from various media sources]

  Bihar, BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, LK Advani, NARENDRA MODI, politics