A description about former PM Indira Gandhi’s reign has left the Bihar government red-faced. The official Government of Bihar website, has claimed that the treatment meted out to Jay Prakash Narayan during the Emergency was worse than what the British had meted out to Gandhiji!
The history section of the website stated: “Another was Jay Prakash Narayan, affectionately called JP. JP's substantial contribution to modern Indian history continued up until his death in 1979. It was he who steadfastly and staunchly opposed the autocratic rule of Indira Gandhi and her younger son, Sanjay Gandhi. Fearing people's reaction to his opposition, Indira Gandhi had him arrested on the eve of declaring National Emergency beginning June 26, 1975. He was put in the Tihar Jail, located near Delhi, where notorious criminals are jailed. Thus, in Free India, this septuagenarian, who had fought for India's freedom alongside Indira Gandhi's father, Jawahar Lal Nehru, received a treatment that was worse than what the British had meted out to Gandhiji in Champaran in 1917, for his speaking out against oppression. “
“The movement started by JP, however, brought the Emergency to an end, led to the massive defeat of Indira Gandhi and her Congress Party at the polls, and, to the installation of a non-Congress government -The Janata Party - at Delhi, for the first time.”
This has angered the Congress and Bihar Congress leader Chandan Yadav was quoted saying by HT: “The references to Indira Gandhi are totally unacceptable and we will raise the matter in the party and request the leadership to take up the issue with the chief minister. Indira Gandhi was a very popular leader and people in Bihar still remember her for empowering downtrodden through Belchi struggle and Garibi Hatao movement.”
The website's content is even more embarrassing when you consider the fact that Congress is part of the ruling alliance in Bihar along with Nitish's JDU and Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD.
(Read: Indira Gandhi's Assassination: Why we should never forget 1984 anti-Sikh riots)
