New Delhi, November 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has said former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi publicly expressed regret and apologised for the excesses committed during the Emergency, while arguing that the decisions taken during the period were influenced by pressure from senior colleagues as well as Sanjay Gandhi.
In an interview with The Hindu’s N. Ram ahead of the release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, scheduled for November 10, Sonia said Sanjay Gandhi was often regarded as the face of the Emergency, but the circumstances were more complex.
“It was not only Sanjay, though in the public mind he is often seen as synonymous with the Emergency. There was a lot of pressure from some of her senior colleagues,” she said, adding that her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, had a different perspective and would convey public complaints and feedback to his mother.
Addressing whether the Emergency should be viewed as an authoritarian and anti-democratic chapter in India’s history, Sonia acknowledged that democratic rights had been curtailed and habeas corpus suspended. She maintained that the proclamation had been made constitutionally.
She also described the circumstances that, in her assessment, Indira Gandhi was facing at the time, including violent protests, attacks on government offices and public transport, organised unrest and calls for the bureaucracy and armed forces to disobey orders.
Sonia said the benefit of hindsight offered a clearer perspective on the period. She pointed out that Indira Gandhi eventually recognised the situation and called elections in March 1977.
The Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, and saw restrictions on civil liberties and the Press, suspension of constitutional safeguards and an expansion of executive powers.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi shared his mother’s interview on X, praising her six decades in public life. “Sixty years in public life, and still the same person. Proud of you, Ma,” he wrote.
He also shared Sonia’s reflections on remaining committed to values such as loyalty, sincerity, responsibility and concern for others.
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