When BJP senior leader L.K Advani spoke about the days of Emergency in 1975 returning to the country, he gave sufficient hints to connect the dots, and the opposition gladly did the job for him. The obvious hint lay to Narendra Modi when he lost to him at the BJP National Executive in Goa. Advani has given fresh ammunition to the Congress and the opposition. Although the RSS was quick to clarify that Advani’s attack was not directed at the BJP government, the Congress, JD (U), AAP and SP leaders have insisted that Advani’s target is indeed Modi. By not saying that he didn’t mean to implicate Modi, Advani is providing the much needed fire-power to the Congress and the opposition. For the emergency of 1975, his comparison was obviously with Indira Gandhi; but for his premonition about the future, he doesn’t say who the villain will be. With BJP emerging as the only party with a brutal majority at the Centre and in key states, anybody’s guess is as good on emergency. Advani’s fears of a clamp-down on democracy and veiled attacks on Modi are not going to work in the present political set up. The one fact we know is that whosoever had ganged up against Modi has been banished in New Delhi and before that in Gujarat. Advani’s comments may be politically motivated, but the circumstances do lend some credence to the fears of abuse of authority because autocracy and ideology do go together. Advani after creating flutter with his apprehensions of Emergency once again said anyone who comes to power doesn’t want to lose it and warned that the voter will teach a lesson to anyone who “abuses power”. He also said that the best safeguard against mischief is the voter. The BJP patriarch said Emergency cannot be imposed in India for a second time easily but added a word of caution that “those who have power or those who are likely to be in power, their susceptibility would always be greater”. His direct attack is on the political will of those in authority rather than the constitutional safeguards prevailing. The opposition and the civil society should take a cue from the inference for the future development, if any.
