JOIN USBJP patriarch L K Advani was not invited to a function organised by an RSS-backed body to mark 40 years of the Emergency though the gathering was addressed by party chief Amit Shah.
A major row had erupted recently after Advani in an interview to a leading newspaper expressed fear that "forces that can crush democracy are stronger" now. He was also of the view that Emergency-like situation could emerge again.
Though his comments were lapped by the opposition to state that it was aimed at Narendra Modi’s working style, Advani had later clarified that he was hinting at Congress leadership since it was slapped by former prime minister Indira Gandhi this day 40 years back.
Speaking at “A Black Day of Democracy”, Amit Shah recalled that veteran party leaders such as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani were put behind the bars for resisting the oppressive regime. But, he stated that “I don’t hesitate in saying that ours is the strongest democracy in the world”, ruling out possibility of dictatorship striking again.
He also paid respect to all those leaders who struggled to keep democracy alive during the Emergency. He also urged the people to always vote for an ideology, not for an individual.