Do you�believe after all these years that the Emergency was justified?

I still believe that when she imposed the Emergency, she had every right then because leaders of the Opposition were behaving in a total reckless, irresponsible and anti-national manner, just enjoying the spectacle.

I recall very clearly that when the Emergency was imposed, there was a general sense of relief throughout the country. Schools reopened, colleges reopened, trains ran on time, and there was a sense of gratitude that the country was back to normal.

Of course, the freedom of the people had been taken away. I called on her and told her�she must not gag the press. I told her�there were people like me who supported her but that no one would believe us, saying you can’t say anything else or she will lock you up.

But she didn’t agree saying you can’t have (a state of) Emergency and freedom of the press because that would create problems. I thought she’d lock me up but she didn’t, maybe because I had defended her and her son, Sanjay, long enough.

Anyway, she lifted the Emergency because she was totally misled by the CBI into believing that she was hugely popular and would win the election. And when elections were held, she was surprised to learn that she had earned so much hatred throughout the country that she was defeated.

isn’t that asking for a little too much of the the left?