Emergency a mistake, Sanjay added to the damage: Sonia Gandhi's big remark

Detailed summary

In a freewheeling interview ahead of the release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi has spoken at length on how the decision to impose the Emergency divided the family.

The Emergency, imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, remains one of the most controversial chapters in the Congress's history. Recalling the turbulent period, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi called the decision a "mistake" and emphasised that keeping Sanjay Gandhi "in check" could have prevented much of the damage that followed its imposition.

It is not the first time that Sonia has spoken about the Emergency, a period that saw civil liberties being suspended and a brutal crackdown being unleashed on Opposition leaders and the freedom of the press. In a 2016 interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, Sonia said Indira "felt uncomfortable" with the Emergency, as otherwise she would not have called elections in 1977.

Opening of the article, excerpted from India Today. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.