Indira Gandhi had lifted Emergency, apologised for excesses: Congress
New Delhi, July 15 : Congress on Sunday said it was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who had herself lifted the Emergency and apologised for the excesses committed during it.
"It was Indira Gandhi who had said that it was a painful and difficult position for her given that situation and circumstances. It was she who regretted and apologised for any excess committed," said Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma reacting to the BJP, who said freedom of expression was curbed the most during the Emergency after Congress President Rahul Gandhi accused it and the RSS of believing freedom of expression must be "policed".
"It was Indira Gandhi who lifted the Emergency and ensured free and fair elections. She accepted the verdict of the people with humility and respect in an election in which she herself lost," he said.
"The Congress was defeated and the people then saw Indira Gandhi's persecution and victimisation. Let's not forget that Indira Gandhi was re-elected to the Lok Sabha within days of frivolous charges in the Privileges Committee, which was totally controlled by her opponents.
"She was expelled from Lok Sabha and sent to the Tihar jail. That led to a national outrage and in election of 1980, people brought her back," he added.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
