Mangal Pandey Targets Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Emergency Anniversary

Brief By Newsbrief / 5:33 PM on 25 Jun 2026

BJP senior leader and former Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey launched a sharp attack on the Congress on the 51st anniversary of the Emergency, calling June 25, 1975, one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history. He alleged that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency to protect her political position, curbing fundamental rights, censoring the media, disregarding judicial institutions, and imprisoning opposition leaders. Pandey further claimed that the same “authoritarian DNA” continues within the Congress under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. He accused Rahul Gandhi of running the party without accountability, suppressing internal dissent, and failing to connect with public aspirations despite repeated electoral setbacks. Contrasting the opposition with the BJP-led government, Pandey said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has accelerated development, while Rahul Gandhi remains focused on negative and divisive politics. His remarks came as political parties observed the Emergency anniversary with contrasting narratives.