MJ Akbar today said there was a serious "history deficiency" in the IQ of Congress leaders.
In a hard-hitting rebuttal to Congress over equating Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar today said there was a serious "history deficiency" in the IQ of Congress leaders.
Terming the Emergency "the Jallianwala Bagh of free India," while recounting its horror, Akbar said the reason for "atrocity" on the nation was nothing more than the desire of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to evade the consequences of a court decision.
"There is a serious history deficiency in the IQ of Congress leaders. I think, why don't we all collect fund and send them some good books," Akbar said to a question on the comments of Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala alleging that (PM) Modi was more cruel than Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Speaking to reporters here, he also hit out at senior Congress leader and former Union minister Saifuddin Soz for his alleged claim that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was willing to trade Kashmir for Hyderabad during partition, as "utterly irresponsible."
"Mr Soz is inventing history in the service of his party...and if that is the dangerous way in which Congress believes and it conducts itself, then all I can say is that this is more evidence that Congress is simply not responsibleenough to be anywhere near a government," he said.
Alleging that a Congress leader had said the Indian army had killed more civilians than terrorists, Mr Akbar said such attacks on the country's patriotic and brave forces had become a pattern.
He said when Indian forces crossed the border in pursuit of terrorists, their valour and actions were questioned by the leaders of the Congress party.
"Do terrorists come in uniform? Terrorists wear civilian clothes, and therefore when you seek out and eliminate this barbaric danger to our nation, how can the Congress leadership come to the defence of terrorism and terrorists?" he questioned.
Calling the period of Emergency as "dark" and "dangerous" 19 months, Akbar said at the midnight hour in 1947 India got freedom, while in 1975 India's freedom was destroyed at the midnight hour.
Recounting the horror of the Emergency, he equated it to the Jallianwala Bagh incident of 1919.
"As we discuss and remember that time, the search for metaphors continues. But for me emergency was the Jallianwala Bagh of free India. All that Indians wanted in June 1975 was freedom and all they got was massacre of democracy," he said.
Mr Akbar also said the reason for this "atrocity" on thenation was nothing more than the desire of Indira Gandhi to evade the consequences of a decision made by Allahabad High Court on electoral malpractice.
Responding to a question about trolls attacking his senior colleague in the Ministry Sushma Swaraj over a controversy involving issuance of passport to an inter-faith couple, he said, "trolls do what they want to...but in any case the decision was made on what she considers is in the best interest of the country."
Questioned on BJP leaders' 'silence' regarding trolls, he said "these are assumptions...I'm sitting here, answering your questions."
Asked if the government would pursue police action against those who have abused and allegedly threatened to kill Swaraj, Akbar said "I'm sure the law and order process are taking whatever action that is needed."
About his Cabinet colleagues following some of those trolling Ms Swaraj, he said "I'm not aware of anyone."