"When Advani laid down his fear of an Emergency again, he is definitely pointing at somebody. Now the question is who is this person that Advani is hinting at? How can his fears be mitigated?" Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said in an editorial today.
Praising Advani as the "tallest leader" of the country who has seen all seasons and gone through ups and downs, the Sena said, "Even if he is not in the mainstream politics now, BJP leaders and media know that he cannot be ignored and when he said that an emergency-like situation cannot be ruled out again, debates have once again focused on him."
Recalling that Advani was a witness to the Emergency of 1975, when political leaders were jailed without sufficient reasons Sena sought to know what prompted him to think of a similar situation happening again.
"Suddenly after 40 years, what made Advani think that emergency can recur and democracy will be crushed?" it asked.
Advani has created a flutter by stating, in an interview to a leading daily, that "At the present point of time, the forces that can crush democracy notwithstanding the constitutional and legal safeguards are stronger."
"Today, I do not say that the political leadership is not mature. I don't have faith because of its weaknesses. I don't have the confidence that it (Emergency) cannot happen again," Advani, now a member of the BJP's Margadarshak Mandal, said.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
