#Politics | Modi praises his Emergency role as BJP pays tributes to Morarji Desai, Congress silent

Tributes to our former PM Shri Morarjibhai Desai. He is remembered for his contribution to India’s freedom struggle and as an outstanding administrator. His role in resisting the Emergency and steering the nation in the period after that is also exemplary.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 28, 2023

Desai, who was born on February 29, 1896, led the Janata Party government between 1977 and 1979. He had joined the Congress (O) after the Congress party split in 1969, and led an Opposition alliance to defeat Indira Gandhi post-Emergency.

He was also known for his peace activism, especially in initiating peace efforts with Pakistan, and helping restore friendly relations with China after India’s first nuclear test in 1974.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi wrote, “Birth Anniversary tributes to former Prime Minister of India, Bharat Ratna Shri Morarji Desai Ji. He set high values for himself and the people around him and passionately served the nation. My pranams to him.”

Birth Anniversary tributes to former Prime Minister of India, Bharat Ratna Shri Morarji Desai Ji. He set high values for himself and the people around him and passionately served the nation. My pranams to him pic.twitter.com/EgHRUQBStu

— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) February 28, 2023

Union Minister of State Som Parkash also paid tributes to Desai. He tweeted, “My humble tributes to eminent freedom fighter and former Prime Minister Shri Morarjibhai Desai Ji on his birth anniversary.”

My humble tributes to eminent freedom fighter and former Prime Minister Shri Morarjibhai Desai Ji on his birth anniversary. pic.twitter.com/pQet44egoW

— Som Parkash ਸੋਮ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ (@SomParkashBJP) February 28, 2023

However, the Congress was conspicuously silent on paying tributes to Desai, even though he had been an important leader of the party since the independence movement. He had been positioned as the PM in 1964 (Jawaharlal Nehru’s death) and in 1966 (Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death); however he was thwarted both times.

During Emergency, Desai was jailed along with other Opposition leaders. In the 1977 elections, the Janata alliance routed Indira Gandhi’s Congress in a landslide victory, with Desai eventually heading the first non-Congress government of India.