LK Advani's remarks about Emergency should not be ignored: Saamna editorial

Following senior BJP leader and former deputy prime minister LK Advani's comments that he did not have the confidence to believe that the Emergency would not happen again, the Shiv Sena on Monday said these remarks could not be ignored.

An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna, which has party president Uddhav Thackeray as the editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut as the spokesperson, however, asked the BJP veteran to be clear about who these observations referred to.

The editorial on Monday noted that Advani was the senior-most politician in the country and had seen many ups and downs. The editorial added that although he had been sidelined of late in the BJP's politics, a section of the party and the media felt this committed politician could not be neglected.

The Shiv Sena also referred to former premier Indira Gandhi having imprisoned opposition figures during the Emergency, and how there was a clampdown on freedom of expression and civil liberties then.

"Since Advani has voiced fears of an Emergency, this means that he is trying to take a shot at somebody. Now, who is this someone?" the editorial questioned.

"Why does Advani feel that after 40 years an Emergency will be foisted on the country, (and) democracy will be crushed? Today, the BJP's Modi government is ruling India with full majority and this government has come to power through the democratic route," said the editorial, adding that the media, which had played a major role in Modi's victory, had freedom to express themselves. Similarly, the opposition was also attacking Modi.

"If this is accepted, the conditions do not seem conducive for democracy to be crushed to death, but since a leader like Advani has expressed fears about an Emergency, it cannot be merely ignored. If Advani wants to say something about the developments in the BJP, he should speak clearly. Because even if they were feeling stifled in the party, leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi and Kirti Azad had expressed their opinions freely in the interim period. Hence, it is a riddle as to why Advani fears an Emergency," the editorial said.