BJP sought to link Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and the Congress saying that the emergencies proclaimed by them were a result of an inbuilt desire to perpetuate personal power.
NEW DELHI: Apparently with Gujarat elections on its mind, the BJP on Sunday sought to link Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and the Congress saying that the emergencies proclaimed by them were a result of an inbuilt desire to perpetuate personal power.
It also found irony in the developments in Pakistan which, the party said, took place on a day when Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Congress party, responsible for the Emergency in 1975, had accused BJP of being heartless and lacking concern for the people.
It was an obvious reference to Gandhi's remarks in Anand where she criticised Chief Minister Narendra Modi who had attacked 'Miyan Musharraf' in the run up to the 2002 polls.
"The common thread in the tale of these three emergencies is that there is an inbuilt desire in the proclaimer of emergency to perpetuate personal power, usurp absolute power, eliminate all possibilities of losing that power and intolerance towards any form of criticism," BJP General
Secretary Arun Jaitley said in a statement here.
Noting that the developments in Pakistan have become a matter for international concern, he said the BJP had always believed that the struggle for democracy in Pakistan is inseparable from the struggle against terrorism.
Jaitley said the developments in the neighbouring country were a "replica" of what India had gone through in 1975 and expressed solidarity with the people of Pakistan in their struggle in restoration of democracy and the rule of law.
Jaitley said Hitler used the fire at the Reichstag as a ground for proclaiming emergency while Indira Gandhi used attempts at destablising the country as an alibi.
"It is not surprising that General Pervez Musharraf has used terrorism and judicial encroachment into the Executive domain to highlight the threat of destabilisation," he said.
Noting that the Indian nation displayed a great resilience in fighting the emergency, the BJP leader said, "we hope for a similar success of our Pakistani counterparts."
He said the emergencies were further accompanied by generation of atmosphere of personal sycophancy by proclaiming the dictator a saviour of the nation in the hour of crisis.
"Some proclaimers of emergency go a step further as in India they used the fear psychosis created by emergency to institutionalise and make acceptable a dynasty as an alternative to democracy," Jaitley said.
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