Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has drawn attention and controversy once again within his party by voicing strong criticism of the Emergency period and directly targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family.
In a recent article published in the Malayalam daily Deepika, which has since gone viral, Tharoor reportedly referred to the Emergency as one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic journey.
He is understood to have held former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi responsible for enforcing harsh measures during the 21 months between 1975 and 1977, TNIE reported.
He is also believed to have accused her son, Sanjay Gandhi, of orchestrating a series of harsh and controversial measures, including violent crackdowns in rural areas and the implementation of forced sterilisation drives.
Tharoor is said to have underscored the suspension of fundamental rights, the muzzling of the press, and widespread human rights violations during the Emergency, which he claims inflicted long-term damage on the constitutional framework and democratic ethos of the country.
According to his piece, the period continues to haunt the collective memory of Indians even decades later, serving as a powerful reminder of the fragility of civil liberties. Tharoor reportedly urged citizens not only to reflect on that period as a grim episode in history but to draw enduring lessons to safeguard democracy going forward.
The article has triggered renewed internal tensions within the Congress, with political analysts predicting possible pushback against Tharoor from within the party ranks.