Nearly three years after BJP patriarch L.K. Advani warned that the 1975-77 'Emergency' could happen again, another ally-turned-rival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday has raised the bogey of 'undeclared emergency' against the BJP government.
VHP international working president Pravin Togadia condemned the plan by the information and broadcasting ministry to amend guidelines to curb 'fake news' as amounting to an 'undeclared emergency'.
The move by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, which was announced on Monday, has since been rescinded following intervention by Modi.
Togadia called media the fourth pillar of democracy and said agreeing or disagreeing with a media story was up to an individual but 'choking' of media was unacceptable.
In June 2015, Advani claimed that a repeat of the Emergency could not be ruled out as “forces that can crush democracy have grown stronger”. Advani's remarks were interpreted as being aimed at Modi, who was once Advani's protégé.
Togadia and Modi were known to be close up till the 1990s. However, after his ascension as Gujarat chief minister, Modi was accused of trying to cut down to size Togadia's influence in Gujarat, owing to the latter's attempts at interference in government.
In March this year, Togadia claimed the Gujarat government had intentionally reduced his security cover after he was involved in a car crash. In January, Togadia went missing for several hours and was found in a semi-conscious state near the Ahmedabad Airport. He alleged there was a threat to his life from officials close to the PM.