Indira Gandhi`s attempt to strangulate democracy was defeated by students, history will be repeated: NCP leader Jitendra Awhad

Maharashtra minister and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad has said that history will repeat itself just like former prime minister Indira Gandhi`s attempt to strangulate democracy in the past was defeated by students similarly, students will do so in the present day too.

"Indira Gandhi had also strangulated democracy, nobody was ready to speak against her. Then, students from Ahmedabad and Patna protested and JP movement started leading to her defeat. This history will be repeated in Maharashtra and the country," Awhad had said in Maharashtra's Beed on Wednesday.

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The remark comes in the wake of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by several state governments and people. Jayaprakash Narayan, also called Lok Nayak, had launched a mass movement against Indira Gandhi-led Congress government in 1974. Jailed during the Emergency he defeated the Congress party in 1977 for the first time which led to the formation of the Janata Party government in the Centre.

Reacting on this, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya agreed saying that Awhad is right as Indira Gandhi was strangling democracy during Emergency. "We support his statement. Hope that Congress and Shiv Sena will also support his statement," said Somaiya.

Although in the meeting he targeted PM Modi and Amit Shah, the Congress have been hurt by Awhad's statement.

On January 20, Awhad had said that ancestors of people sitting on the throne in Delhi "were appeasing" Britishers at the time when Awhad`s father was facing a death sentence for the sake of the country. He further added that Muslims can point out where their grandfathers were buried but Hindus may not be able to say where the last rites of their ancestors were conducted.

"I would ask the (people at) throne in Delhi, will you ask proof of me being an Indian? Then listen to this- when your father was licking the boots of the British after bowing to them, my father was embracing death and raising slogans Inquilab Zindabad. I want to ask, my Hindu brothers are sitting here, where were you when your grandfather`s last rites were performed? Muslims can tell where their graveyards are," he had said at a rally against the CAA in Maharashtra.

Recently, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had created a flutter by claiming that Indira Gandhi used to come to meet yesteryear don Karim Lala in Mumbai. However, after criticism from ally Congress, Raut had withdrawn the remark.