THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has once again stirred controversy within the party by strongly criticising the Emergency period and directly targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family.

In a recent article published in Malayalam daily Deepika that has gone viral, Tharoor described the Emergency as a “dark period” in India’s democratic history and called out the “unspeakable atrocities” committed during that time.

Tharoor did not mince words as he blamed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for enforcing harsh measures and accused her son, Sanjay Gandhi, of committing “terrible atrocities,” including forced sterilisations and the use of violence in rural areas.

During the 21-month Emergency between 1975 and 1977, Tharoor emphasised the suspension of fundamental rights, press restrictions, and extensive human rights violations. The piece is a blow to the Congress high leadership.

“Even after fifty years, that period remains indelibly etched in the memories of Indians,” Tharoor wrote, adding that the time period severely tested the fundamental guarantees of equality, liberty, and fraternity. He also asserted that the “open disregard for constitutional laws” during the Emergency left a deep scar on Indian politics.

Tharoor concluded his piece by urging the nation to not just remember the Emergency as a dark chapter but to learn lasting lessons from it. The article has sparked a fresh tug-of-war within the Congress, with political observers anticipating backlash against Tharoor from within the party.