Kathmandu— Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized the Congress leadership on Saturday, accusing the party of failing to recognize its own shortcomings and contrasting its current stance with the bluntness shown by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the 1975 Emergency.

Historical Comparisons

Rijiju used social media to share an archival interview of Indira Gandhi, in which she defended the imposition of the 1975 Emergency and the subsequent arrest of opposition leaders. While Rijiju noted that the government does not agree with the policies and steps taken by the former Prime Minister, he observed that she was blunt in admitting the actions she had taken.

In the video clip, Gandhi is seen justifying the arrest of figures such as Morarji Desai, alleging that opposition members were attempting to destroy democracy. She claimed that certain opposition figures intended to surround the Prime Minister’s house and Parliament to prevent business from being conducted, and suggested that some members had threatened to win by the bullet if they could not win by the ballot.

The Emergency and Foreign Interference

During the archival interview, Gandhi addressed the circumstances surrounding the Emergency, suggesting that the subcontinent had been destabilized by both internal upheaval and foreign interference. She remarked that had the situation been purely internal, it would have been much easier to deal with.

When asked why foreign interference was not explicitly mentioned in her letter to the President at the time, Gandhi replied that one does not mention everything at any time, noting it was obvious to those following the actions of international agencies.

Political Friction Over Women’s Reservation

The Minister’s remarks follow a public exchange with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi regarding the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill. Rijiju had challenged the Congress party to provide unconditional support for the legislation, a move that prompted a sharp response from Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi questioned why the Centre is attempting to link the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, to the delimitation exercise. Gandhi asserted that the bill has already passed unanimously with full Congress support and demanded that the law be implemented without any conditions.

Legislative Deadlock

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which proposes a 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, has faced implementation delays. Although passed in both Houses of Parliament, the implementation stalled after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17.

The political tension continues as the opposition demands the delinking of women’s reservation from the delimitation process.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.