Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday admitted that the Emergency imposed by his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was a ‘mistake’.

In a virtual interaction with Professor Kaushik Basu of Cornell University, he added that what happened during that period was “wrong”.

"I think that was a mistake. Absolutely, that was a mistake. And my grandmother (Indira Gandhi) said as much. But the Congress party at no point attempted to capture India's institutional framework and frankly, the Congress party does not even have that capability. Our design does not allow us that and even if we want, we cannot do it," he said.

However, he alleged that there was a "fundamental difference" between what happened during Emergency, and what is happening today. “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is filling up the institutions of the country with its people. So, even if we defeat the BJP in the election, we are not going to get rid of their people in the institutional structure,” he said.

The Emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977.

On the killing of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul told Basu that his father’s death made him understand violence. Gandhi said he saw his father's death coming as he was fighting many forces at the time.

Last month, Rahul said that his father's killing brought him tremendous pain but he nursed no anger or hatred towards those responsible for it

"I don't have anger or hatred towards anybody.Of course, I lost my father and for me it was a very difficult time," he said, adding, it was similar to having one's heart severed. "I felt tremendous pain, but I don't feel anger, I don't feel any hatred or any anger. I forgive," he said.

(With Inputs from PTI)

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)

First Published:Mar 3, 2021 1:46 PM IST