'Democrat at heart': Sonia Gandhi defends Indira despite calling Emergency a mistake

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has defended former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a democrat at heart, even while acknowledging that imposing the Emergency in 1975 was a mistake. In an interview with British newspaper The Guardian, Sonia said she believed her mother-in-law was deeply uncomfortable with the decision and eventually came to regret it.

"I always feel that Mrs (Indira) Gandhi was a democrat at heart," Sonia Gandhi told The Guardian ahead of the release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love.

"I know that many would laugh at this, but I believe she was never comfortable in the course of the emergency. I think it was sitting heavy on her," she added.

Her remarks highlight the contradiction between Indira Gandhi's democratic legacy and her decision to impose the Emergency, which resulted in widespread restrictions on civil liberties, political opposition and press freedom.

Emergency divided the Gandhi family

According to The Guardian, Sonia's memoir also reveals how the decision created tensions within Indira Gandhi's family.

Her elder son Rajiv Gandhi opposed the Emergency and reportedly advised his mother to wait for the next election. However, his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi supported stronger action against the opposition.

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During a family dinner, Sanjay allegedly warned that opposition leaders would destroy Indira Gandhi unless they were stopped.

"They must be stopped," he reportedly told her.

Sonia recalled that Rajiv attempted to challenge his mother's decision, but she refused to listen.

"Keeping Sanjay in check could have prevented much of the damage that followed," Sonia writes in her memoir, according to The Guardian.

Sonia on Indira's eventual regret

In a separate interview with The Hindu, Sonia acknowledged that democratic rights were curtailed during the Emergency, including the suspension of habeas corpus protections.

"It was only after the Emergency that I came to know the true gravity of what had been happening," she said.

However, she argued that Indira Gandhi was confronting a rapidly deteriorating political situation, including violent protests, organised unrest and calls for government officials and armed forces to disobey orders.

Sonia also pointed out that Indira subsequently acknowledged the excesses committed during the period.

"And you know very well that she herself later publicly expressed regret and apologised for excesses during the Emergency," she said.

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A controversial chapter in Indian democracy

The Emergency was proclaimed on June 25, 1975, and remained in force until March 21, 1977.

During this period, opposition leaders were arrested, press freedoms were restricted and constitutional protections were severely curtailed.

Indira Gandhi announced fresh elections in January 1977, but Congress suffered a major defeat.

The Emergency remains politically contentious, with the BJP repeatedly criticising Congress over what it describes as a dark chapter in India's democratic history.

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