The Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson believes her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi also eventually felt the same way about the decision.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has described the 1975 imposition of the Emergency as a mistake, according to reports by The Times of India and The Hindu. Ahead of the launch of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Gandhi stated that she believes her mother-in-law and then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi eventually came to feel the same way.
In her upcoming book, Gandhi suggests that managing Sanjay Gandhi's influence more effectively might have lessened the subsequent damage, as reported by The Guardian. She noted that the family was divided on the decision, with her husband Rajiv Gandhi opposing the move and advising Indira Gandhi to wait for the next election.
While Rajiv Gandhi held a differing view, her younger son Sanjay Gandhi pushed for the imposition. The Economic Times reported that Sanjay Gandhi argued at a family dinner that the opposition would destroy his mother and that they must be stopped.
Gandhi said that while Sanjay Gandhi is often viewed as synonymous with the Emergency, there was also significant pressure from senior colleagues. She remarked that Indira Gandhi was a democrat at heart and likely felt uncomfortable during that period.
The former Congress chief added that Indira Gandhi later expressed regret and apologised for the excesses that occurred. Gandhi noted that while democratic rights were curtailed and habeas corpus was suspended, the process was carried out constitutionally.
