Gandhi family never trusted anyone beyond themselves: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on the Gandhi family, accusing them of fostering a legacy of distrust and unilateralism within the Congress party. 

Addressing the media on the anniversary of the Emergency, CM Sarma said history was witness to how the Gandhi family, "apart from their close relatives, does not trust anyone."

Referring to the declaration of the Emergency on the night of June 25, 1975, Sarma criticised the manner in which then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi pushed through the decision without consulting the Cabinet.

“At midnight, the President was woken up and asked to sign the Emergency Proclamation without Cabinet approval. Indira Gandhi was powerful enough to call a Cabinet meeting that evening. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the President, was completely loyal, and the Cabinet had no dissenting voices. Yet, she went ahead unilaterally,” Sarma said.

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He added that the Cabinet was only informed after the President had signed the declaration, with a meeting held around 6 AM the next morning — a move he called “post-facto,” intended to override the Allahabad High Court’s judgment against Indira Gandhi.

“The incident showed how deeply insecure the leadership was and how decision-making was confined to the family alone. From Indira Gandhi’s time till today, all major decisions are taken by the family, with the party and the government informed only at the time of implementation,” the Chief Minister said.

Criticising the Congress as a “family-run enterprise,” Sarma said, “They are not team players. The same decision could have been taken with collective advice, but they never trusted anyone beyond the family.”

Sarma’s remarks came during a broader political offensive by the BJP on the 50th anniversary week of the Emergency, a period widely criticised for its suppression of civil liberties and press freedom.