Indira 'tallest leader', Modi 'authoritarian', says Congress
New Delhi, June 26 : The Congress on Tuesday slammed the BJP for comparing former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with Hitler and hit out at Union Minister Arun Jaitley for "distortion of history".
Congress leader Anand Sharma also attacked Narendra Modi and said India was now witnessing a systematic subversion of all institutions that uphold the Constitution and democracy under the watch of an "authoritarian Prime Minister and arrogant government".
"Indira Gandhi was the tallest leader of her times and a democratically elected popular Prime Minister. Jaitley's comparison of Indira with Hitler "is absurd, outrageous and a distortion of history", Sharma tweeted.
"Indira Gandhi's elected government was sought to be destabilised by unconstitutional and undemocratic methods. Emergency was an aberration and Indira Gandhi had herself expressed regret," Sharma added.
Sharma said Jaitley was suffering from selective loss of memory.
"Dictators do not hold elections. Let BJP be reminded that Indira Gandhi lifted Emergency to hold free and fair elections. She herself lost and she accepted defeat and the verdict with humility."
The Emergency came into force on June 25, 1975, leading to suspension of fundamental rights. It lasted till March 21, 1977. The Congress led by Indira Gandhi was voted out of power in the elections held then.
"Jaitley and BJP's obsession with Hitler is understandable. He comes from the RSS-BJP school who celebrate Hitler and eulogise fascism," Sharma added.
Sharma added that "the debate was decisively settled in 1980 when the people of India brought Indira Gandhi back with a thumping majority and dumped her tormentors and opponents in the dustbin of history".
Hitting out at Modi, Sharma said: "What India is witnessing today is a systematic subversion of all institutions that uphold our Constitution and democracy under the watch of an authoritarian Prime Minister and arrogant government, leading to centralisation of power."
"BJP-RSS cannot insult her memory or belittle her Martyrdom. People of India will remember her as a hero," he added.
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
