Arun Jaitley compares Indira Gandhi to Hitler
New Delhi, June 25 : Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday compared former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who imposed Emergency, to Hitler, stating that both used the Constitution "to transform democracy into dictatorship".
Jaitley, whose second blog of a three-part series coincided with the 43rd anniversary of imposition of the Emergency, also noted that unlike the German dictator, Gandhi went ahead to transform India into a "dynastic democracy".
"Both Hitler and Gandhi never abrogated the Constitution. They used a republican Constitution to transform democracy into dictatorship," he said.
The BJP leader said Gandhi imposed Emergency under Article 352, suspended fundamental rights under Article 359 and claimed that disorder was planned by the opposition.
Jaitley said Hitler, who became the German Chancellor on January 30, 1933, got his President to invoke Article 48 of the country's Constitution which gave emergency powers for the "protection of people in the State".
"The decree giving emergency powers put restrictions on personal liberty, free speech... The pretext for imposition of Emergency was that on February 27, 1933, German Parliament House, known as 'Reichstag', had been set on fire.
"Hitler claimed that it was a communist conspiracy to burn Government buildings and museums. Thirteen years later, in the Nuremberg trials, it was established that Reichstag fire was the handiwork of Nazis and Goebbels had conceived it."
He said Hitler arrested most opposition MPs.
"Indira Gandhi arrested most opposition MPs and, therefore, procured, through their absence, a two-third majority of members present and voting and enabling the passage of several obnoxious provisions through Constitution amendments," Jaitley said.
The BJP leader said the 42nd Amendment diluted the power of High Courts to issue writ petitions, "a power which Dr. (B.R.) Ambedkar had said was the very heart and soul of India's Constitution".
"They also amended Article 368 so that a Constitution amendment was beyond judicial review. There were a few things that Hitler did not do which Gandhi did.
"She prohibited the publication of Parliamentary proceeding in the media. The law which gave mandate to the media for publishing Parliamentary proceedings was popularly known as the Feroze Gandhi Bill," he said.
Since Hitler's own election has been set aside, he had no change to make in this regard.
"Gandhi amended both the Constitution and the Representation of People Act. The Constitution amendment made the election of the Prime Minister non-justiciable before a court.
"The Representation of People Act was retrospectively amended to insert those provisions so that the invalid election of Gandhi could be validated by changes in law."
He said amendments to the constitution made during Emergency were later reversed by the Janata Party government.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kharge likens BJP and RSS to poison; says 'poisonous snake should be killed'
Pune, Nov 17: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday likened the BJP and RSS to "poison" and termed them as "politically most dangerous" in India.
Addressing a rally in Sangli on the penultimate day before the campaigning for the Maharashtra assembly polls concluded, Kharge used the "killing the poisonous snake" analogy in his speech.
"If there is anything which is politically the most dangerous in India is the BJP and RSS. They are like poison. If a snake bites, the person (who is bitten) dies...such a poisonous snake should be killed," said Kharge.
He targeted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the death of 10 newborns in a fire at a medical college.
Without naming Vishal Patil, the Congress rebel and Independent MP from Sangli, Kharge accused him of betraying the party and supporting his sister-in-law, who is contesting as an Independent nominee in the November 20 assembly elections.
In a dig at BJP, Kharge said the number of leaders who campaigned in Maharashtra polls outnumbered the number of candidates of the saffron party in the fray.
"The Prime Minister, Home Minister (Amit Shah) and other leaders have come here. Today, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath was also here. No idea what happened to him. In UP, in a fire at a hospital in Jhansi, 10 kids died. Despite that, his rallies in Maharashtra didn't stop," the Congress president said.
Kharge took potshots at PM Narendra Modi for holding rallies for state-level elections.
This is an election for assembly and not to elect the prime minister of the country, he said, adding that his (Modi's) "thirst for authority" is unsatiated.
He slammed Modi for not visiting strife-torn Manipur and instead travelling abroad.
"Modi was here till yesterday. Today he is abroad. Manipur is burning, people are dying, adivasi women are disrespected, and women are raped but Modi never visited Manipur. He is on foreign tours. Today he is also visiting a country. I want to tell him first to look after your home. Make the country strong first. You can go anywhere later," Kharge added.
He questioned the output of Modi's meetings with Donald Trump, Pakistan's prime minister, and presidents of Russia and China from India's perspective.
The 83-year-old leader said his age didn't stop him from supporting the Congress' ideology and meeting people.
"There are leaders who were given positions by the party and benefited. We are not criticising anyone but if the Congress party is giving you everything, you should not betray it," said Kharge in an apparent dig at Vishal Patil.
Kharge said the Congress didn't want any rift in the family of (former chief minister) late Vasantdada Patil, who hailed from Sangli.
"I was told that the Lok Sabha MP from Sangli (Vishal Patil) won with the support of Congress party and Congress party has re-inducted him with respect," he said.
Kharge said he respects the woman candidate who is contesting as an Independent because of her association with Congress.
"I had promised and told Ramesh Chennithala (Maharashtra Congress incharge) that we will offer whatever she wants after the elections. We sent Chennithala and KC Venugopal to talk to them as we did not want any rift in Vasantdada Patil's house and Sangli," he added.
Kharge said his assurances, however, didn't work.
Jayashree Patil, from former chief minister Vasantdada Patil’s family, has entered the fray as an independent candidate from Sangli against Congress nominee Prithviraj Patil.
"It is difficult to wake up those people who are pretending to sleep," Kharge added.
