DH NEWS SERVICE
jammu, jun 17
Senior BJP leader and former Minister Bali Bhagat launched a fierce attack on the Congress party and its veteran leader Ashok Gehlot over his controversial statement that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi would have banned the BJP had she been alive today. Describing the remark as “shocking, authoritarian and deeply anti-democratic,” Bali Bhagat said it has once again exposed the Congress party’s “Emergency-era mentality” and intolerance towards political opposition.
Reacting strongly to Gehlot’s statement made during a public event in Jaipur, where the former Rajasthan Chief Minister claimed that Indira Gandhi would have banned the BJP because of its alleged politics around religion, Bali Bhagat said the comment reflects the same mindset that led to the imposition of the Emergency in 1975, one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.
“Only a party with an authoritarian mindset can dream of banning its political rivals. Ashok Gehlot’s statement is not merely an attack on the BJP; it is an attack on the very foundations of Indian democracy. It proves that Congress has learned nothing from the Emergency, when opposition leaders were jailed, the media was censored and citizens’ fundamental rights were trampled upon,” Bhagat said.
He said Gehlot’s remarks have revived memories of a period when democratic institutions were systematically suppressed under Congress rule and political dissent was treated as a crime.
“Congress leaders continue to glorify the Emergency mindset rather than apologising for it. The fact that a senior leader like Gehlot can publicly advocate banning the world’s largest democratic political party shows that the Congress still believes in silencing opponents instead of defeating them through democratic means,” he remarked.
Taking a swipe at the Congress leadership, Bhagat questioned whether the party officially endorses Gehlot’s statement and demanded a clear response from the Congress high command.
“If Congress truly believes in democracy, it must clarify whether it supports Gehlot’s dangerous remarks. The silence of the Congress leadership will only strengthen the perception that the party remains committed to the politics of suppression and intolerance,” he said.
Bali Bhagat further accused the Congress of repeatedly attacking India’s cultural and civilisational identity for political gains. Referring to Gehlot’s criticism of Hindutva, he said the Congress has long displayed discomfort with the faith, traditions and cultural ethos of the majority community.
“Whenever BJP speaks about nationalism, cultural heritage, civilisational values or the aspirations of ordinary Indians, Congress responds with hostility. Congress leaders have repeatedly insulted Hindu beliefs and engaged in divisive vote-bank politics. Gehlot’s remarks are another example of the same mindset,” Bhagat said.
He asserted that the BJP’s rise from a handful of seats to becoming the world’s largest political party was achieved through public trust, democratic participation and commitment to national development, not through political patronage.
“The BJP has earned the confidence of the people through governance, development, nationalism and public service.
Congress cannot digest the repeated rejection of its dynastic and appeasement-driven politics by the people of India. Frustrated by its shrinking political relevance, some Congress leaders are now openly speaking the language of bans and political elimination,” he said.
The former Minister said Gehlot’s statement has inadvertently exposed the Congress party’s real character before the nation.
“India is not a one-party state and never will be. The Constitution guarantees political plurality and democratic competition. Those dreaming of banning opponents should remember that the people of India have repeatedly defeated such authoritarian thinking through the ballot box,” Bhagat said.
He added that the people of the country have consistently rejected the politics of appeasement, dynasty and intolerance, and would continue to stand firmly with democratic values.
“Congress should introspect on its repeated electoral failures instead of fantasising about banning its political rivals. Such statements only reinforce public perception that Congress remains trapped in the mindset that imposed the Emergency and undermined democratic freedoms. The people of India will never allow such authoritarian tendencies to return,” Bali Bhagat added.
