NewKerala.com

Key Points

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has strongly criticized External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for his remarks on the Emergency, accusing him of pandering to the BJP government to retain his position. Chowdhury pointed out that Congress leaders, including Indira Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee, have repeatedly expressed regret over the Emergency. Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh urged Jaishankar to focus on India's diplomatic challenges instead of revisiting historical events. The war of words comes as Jaishankar blamed "one family" for placing personal interests above the nation during the Emergency.

Key Points: Adhir Chowdhury Hits Back at Jaishankar Over Emergency Remarks

  • Chowdhury slams Jaishankar for politicizing Emergency
  • Congress has repeatedly regretted Emergency decision
  • Accuses EAM of toeing BJP line for power
  • Jairam Ramesh says focus should be on diplomacy crisis
3 min read

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slams EAM Jaishankar's remarks on Emergency: just being subservient for ministerial tenure

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticizes Jaishankar for Emergency comments, accuses him of being subservient to retain ministerial post.

"Mr Jaishankar knows everything, but to continue his ministerial tenure, he needs to be subservient to the dictates of the present government. - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury"

New Delhi, June 27

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday criticised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the latter's remarks on the Emergency, saying that multiple times Congress party has repeatedly expressed regret for it such that an election was called by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi knowing well that she might be defeated.

"His predecessor, Pranab Mukherjee, regretted the issue of the imposition of Emergency in public in 2008. Once the Emergency was lifted, Indira Gandhi herself admitted that it was a mistake. On several occasions, Congress repeatedly expressed regrets, but now the ruling party is trying to tarnish Congress," the Congress leader told ANI here.

He said that all those things are known by the EAM; however, he is being subservient to the 'diktats' of the Centre to keep on continuing his ministerial tenure.

"Mr Jaishankar knows everything, but to continue his ministerial tenure, he needs to be subservient to the dictates of the present government... What was the role of RSS during the Independence movement, Quit India, partition, and after independence?" he said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also slammed the EAM, saying he should focus on dealing with the "collapse of Indian diplomacy" rather than talk about the Emergency.

"EAM would be well advised to deal with the complete collapse of Indian diplomacy. Indian diplomacy has taken huge hits in the last couple of weeks. He should be worried about repairing the damage to Indian diplomacy rather than getting into the history of what happened 50 years ago," the Congress leader told ANI.

Earlier today, Jaishankar aimed at the Congress party, stating that one family's interests were placed above the nation, while he remembered the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.

"All this happened because of one family... There's a movie titled 'Kissa Kursi Ka', and these three words aptly tell the reason behind the imposition of the Emergency. When a family is considered above the nation, things like the Emergency take place," Jaishankar said.

The EAM was addressing the inaugural session of a mock parliament, which was organised by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

He recalled that during the Emergency, the opposition side of the parliament was empty as leaders were jailed. He stated that during that time he was a 20-year-old student at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He further said that the biggest lesson from the Emergency was to never take one's freedom for granted.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
Emergency was indeed a dark chapter, but constantly raking it up after 50 years seems like political opportunism. Both sides should focus on current issues - we have real diplomatic challenges with China and Pakistan that need attention. 🙏
P
Priya M.
As a young Indian who only read about Emergency in textbooks, I find this debate tiring. Our leaders should debate current policies rather than historical events. The youth want to hear about jobs and development, not old political rivalries.
A
Amit S.
Jaishankar is right to remind us about Emergency - we must never forget how democracy was suspended. But Congress has apologized multiple times. Now BJP should also acknowledge their mistakes instead of only pointing fingers. Sabko sudharna chahiye.
S
Sunita R.
Why is Congress getting defensive? If they've truly regretted Emergency, they should accept criticism gracefully instead of attacking Jaishankar's tenure. This tit-for-tat politics helps nobody. Our foreign policy does need stronger handling though - China is getting too bold.
V
Vikram D.
Both sides make valid points but miss the bigger picture. Emergency was wrong, no doubt. But today we face new threats to democracy - not from governments but from social media misinformation and polarization. That's what leaders should be discussing!
N
Neha T.
As someone whose grandfather was jailed during Emergency, I appreciate Jaishankar bringing this up. But he's our Foreign Minister - I'd rather hear his plans to handle China's aggression than historical speeches. Priorities matter! 🇮🇳

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50