World · India Bureau
Emergency measures were constitutional, says Sonia Gandhi
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has defended the constitutional validity of measures taken during India's 1975-1977 Emergency, while acknowledging that democratic rights were restricted during the period. Gandhi noted that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi later expressed remorse for excesses committed.
LSN India ·
Sonia Gandhi has sought to distinguish between the constitutional framework and the implementation of emergency powers during India's controversial 1975-1977 Emergency period. Speaking on the contentious chapter in independent India's history, the Congress leader stated that while democratic rights were curtailed during the Emergency, the measures undertaken were done within constitutional bounds.
The remarks come as the country continues to grapple with historical assessments of the 21-month period when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a national emergency following a court verdict against her. The declaration led to widespread restrictions on civil liberties, mass arrests of opposition leaders, and press censorship.
Gandhi noted that Indira Gandhi herself later acknowledged the excesses that occurred during the Emergency and made a public apology for them. The former Prime Minister faced electoral defeat in 1977, with voters decisively rejecting the emergency rule and the Congress party.
The Congress leader's comments reflect ongoing efforts by the party to contextualize one of the most disputed episodes in independent India's political history, balancing recognition of constitutional processes with acknowledgment of democratic transgressions.