Indira felt extremely uncomfortable with Emergency: Sonia Gandhi

"I cannot say how she (Indira Gandhi) would see Emergency today, but if she had not felt extremely uncomfortable, she would not have called for elections," Sonia Gandhi told India Today.

New Delhi, Nov 21 Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi felt "extremely uncomfortable" about the Emergency and if she had not done so, she would not have gone for the General Elections in 1977.

"I cannot say how she (Indira Gandhi) would see Emergency today, but if she had not felt extremely uncomfortable, she would not have called for elections," Sonia Gandhi told India Today in an interview.

Talking about the 21-month-long Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 because of the prevailing "internal disturbance", she said her mother-in-law heard about people's reaction to the move through her son Rajiv Gandhi, also a former Prime Minister.

"There were instances when Rajiv as a pilot, would meet people who would say this is happening. He (Rajiv) would tell this to his mother. I could see that she heard him and would see her respond," she said.

The 1977 elections saw the ruling Congress lose power at the Centre for the first time. The Janata Party -- an alliance of parties opposed to the Emergency -- came to power with Morarji Desai becoming the country's first non-Congress Prime Minister.

Indira Gandhi, along with her son Sanjay, lost the polls. She, however, led the Congress back to power in the 1980 parliamentary polls.

IANS