New Delhi, 31 July (H.S.): Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on India’s past, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agrawal said that the country’s real past was the period when democracy was “suppressed” during the Emergency.

Sharing his personal experience on social media platform X, Agrawal said, “I was only 13 years old at that time. I was sent to jail for raising slogans against Indira Gandhi. My mother was also imprisoned. Later, my father, who was a government employee, was arrested as well. For several months, our entire family remained separated in different jails, only because we raised our voice in support of democracy.”

Agrawal said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India today is a strong, confident and vibrant democracy where citizens enjoy the freedoms that were curtailed during the Emergency. He alleged that a section of the opposition continues to be influenced by the same Emergency-era mindset and attempts to tarnish India’s image on foreign platforms.

He also referred to the forced sterilisation campaign carried out during that period, which has often been associated with the influence of Sanjay Gandhi. Agrawal said the campaign affected millions of families and became a symbol of the misuse of power.

Gopal Krishna Agrawal expressed confidence that present-day India is democratic, self-assured and aspirational, and that the younger generation clearly understands the difference between the failures of the past and the achievements of the present.

It may be noted that on Friday, Rahul Gandhi had targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that they represent “India’s past” and should be cautious while dealing with the country’s future, referring to the youth of India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar