Dictatorship was worst under Indira Gandhi's 'Hitler-like regime': Arun Jaitley

Launching a blistering attack on the Congress for the 1975 emergency imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi-led government, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said it was 'dictatorship at its worst'

New Delhi: Launching a blistering attack on the Congress for the 1975 emergency imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi-led government, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday dubbed the suspension of Article 21 during that time as 'dictatorship at its worst'.

Arun Jaitley. Pic/PTI

"During the 1970s, one of the biggest challenges we faced was Article 21 of the Constitution which was suspended and the government succeeded in convincing the Supreme Court that it was suspendable. This was dictatorship at its worst. The biggest right is the right to life. Today if someone comes in front of the camera and gives an irresponsible comment, we call it intolerance," Jaitley said, while addressing the Rajya Sabha on the second day of the Winter Session of Parliament.

Jaitley also compared Indira Gandhi's regime to the rule of German dictator Adolf Hitler. Jaitley said that Hitler's advisor always ended his speech with a sentence: 'Adolf Hitler is Germany and Germany is Adolf Hitler'.

"I am only referring to what happened in 1933. We need to be reminded of our history," he said.

"You imposed emergency, you detained the Opposition, you amended the Constitution. Dangers to the constitutional order can come when constitutional systems are used to subvert them," Jaitley added.

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