Indira Gandhi's arrest seen as Janata Party's first major political blunder

October 3, the day the former prime minister Mrs Indira Gandhi was arrested, must have been the darkest hour in the political career of the Union Home Minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh. On that day the Janata government committed its first major political blunder and its greatest administrative bungle.Mrs Gandhi's arrest had been the topic of discussion at almost every "informal Cabinet meeting". Industry Minister George Fernandes and Health Minister Raj Narain, and others had been pressing for Mrs Gandhi's immediate arrest. The Prime Minister Morarji Desai had advised caution: "We must take action only according to the law," he had warned. Law Minister Shanti Bhushan had concurred. Foreign Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Information Minister Advani were also pressing for an early arrest. Nanaji Deshmukh, the boss of the erstwhile Jana Sangh, had spent long evenings convincing the Chaudhary that the arrest was a "necessity".The Chaudhary wanted to launch the prosecution immediately after Janata assumed power in March. Fernandes' concept of a trial on the Nuremberg model had specially appealed to the leader who has an almost total belief in the sanctity of the democratic process. But there were too many pressing issues at hand. As the officials waded through the files, one political crisis after another had confronted the old man. Indira Gandhi could wait. There was time enough to catch her, he said to himself. Moreover, he had a soft spot for her. After all she was the daughter of Pandit Nehru and in her own right had ruled the country for 11 years. "I regard her," he confessed later at a press conference in Lucknow, "as my own sister." The Chaudhary, therefore, was extra-cautious. His administrative experience stretching over quarter of a century in top jobs and a life time of political leadership warned him that this could be the most vital decision since the post-election wrangle over the prime ministership. He ordered all files to be studied thoroughly. He could not help but think that enough time had passed, and it was time to act. Mrs Gandhi had challenged him to arrest her. "Operation Arrest" had thus begun, though as yet the Attorney General and the Solicitor General were unaware of the impending developments.The Chaudhary had been chief minister twice and held important ministerial assignments. He knew, therefore, that the right kind of police officers were needed for Operation Arrest to succeed. He sent for the personal records of several police officers above the level of superintendent. "The right man." he told his confidante, "will do this job." N.K. Singh, Superintendent of Police (CBI), seemed to the Chaudhary to be the right man. The Prime Minister gave the green light. "Go ahead if it is foolproof," Desai had told him. But under no condition was Mrs Gandhi to be handcuffed or ill-treated.Initially, the arrest was scheduled for Saturday, October 1. It was the home minister's wife who had reportedly pointed out that an arrest on a Saturday could cause problems. His special assistant, Vijay Karan, former DIG in the Intelligence Bureau and a close friend of the Chaudhary's son-in-law who is also a DIG of police, suggested that the arrest should take place after October 2.On October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, the Chaudhary called the CBI director and asked him to "get ready for the arrest. This is top secret". There was a broad discussion on the plans to be followed. "A normal arrest," ordered the Chaudhary, "she has been the prime minister but now she is an ordinary citizen."At 3 p.m. on October 3 the Home Minister's personal secretary rang up the CBI. "What's happening," he inquired. "We are ready to move, but the local police want a little more time," replied the CBI. An hour later the Superintendent of Police (CBI) asked his boys to get ready. The lawyers had given him a draft of the FIR's on the basis of which Mrs Gandhi and the others were to be arrested. At 4.45 p.m. the CBI arrived outside 12 Willingdon Crescent, Mrs Gandhi's residence. The local police were already there. At 4.55 p.m. they moved in. One of Mrs Gandhi's aides came to the door. He was told: "We are here to escort Mrs Gandhi into custody under Section (5) 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act."As soon as the aide rushed in, Sanjay Gandhi, her son, rushed out. At 5 p.m. the telephone rang. Sanjay's young wife, Maneka, took the call. An India Today reporter was asking for an interview. She smelt a rat. 'Mrs Gandhi is busy now... so are we all..You see, the CBI are here," she said excitedly.At about the same time Charan Singh, was looking at the copies of the First Information Report. "Get them," he is reported to have told one of his personal assistants. "Who?" asked the puzzled man. "The CBI people, These are not the cases on which we should have taken action now," shouted the home minister. His assistant rushed to the telephone. "They are already at her house," said a senior officer. They tried Mrs Gandhi's house. It was too late to withdraw. The great administrative bungle was already under way.Charan Singh angrily ordered that a blow by blow account be relayed to him. The local police were told to report to the CID control room. Every message was passed on to Vijay Karan, Special Assistant to Charan Singh. Mrs Gandhi was given an hour by the arresting officer. Maneka rang up Surya, magazine which she edits. Others rang up her henchmen R. K. Dhawan. Yashpal Kapoor and the lawyers.... "Queen four to King five, Queen four to King five..." the police wireless operator reported... "ek ghantay ka time..." (an hour's time).For once Charan Singh, the unflappable Chaudhury, was worried. He ordered the director of the CBI and one of the joint directors to proceed straight to Mrs Gandhi's house. They had told him that the plan was to take Mrs Gandhi to the Badkhal Lake guest house. "You have messed it up," shouted Charan Singh, "now clear up the mess."At 6.05 p.m. Mrs Gandhi came out to the verandah. "Where are the handcuffs" she said, "I am not going without handcuffs." There was uproar. The police politely informed her that she was not to be handcuffed. The wireless crackled again-"King five to Queen four". Charan Singh paced up and down the room keeping a minute by minute track of the drama.And the drama unfolding at 12 Willingdon Crescent was now rapidly turning into a burlesque. Maneka Gandhi's phone call to the Surya office had produced the desired result. Her assistant editor, Raghu Krishnan, had promptly called all possible members of the foreign media. The message intoned in a theatrically hushed tone was the same, "The CBI are at Mrs Gandhi's house."A similar exercise was being performed by members of Mrs Gandhi's family and staff at her house. Phone calls went out to all loyal retainers of the household all over the country. And the counter measures planned well in advance for such an eventuality were set in motion. Jagdish Tytler of the Youth Congress fame, had passed the word around-this is the time for all the young men to come to the aid of the party. It had rapidly brought several hundred chanting men to Willingdon Crescent.Among them were chubby Yashpal Kapoor, doleful Brahmanand Reddi, rotund Kamlapathi Tripathi, stubby Mohsina Kidwai, school-marmy Savita Behn, diminutive Radha Raman, the implementor, H. K. L. Bhagat, safari suited A. R. Antulay and Sanjay Gandhi's confidantes, Bansi Lal, Shankar Dayal Sharma and Arjun Dass. At the tail end arrived the ex-special envoy, Mohammed Yunus, only to have his toes run over by Sanjay's blue Matador.Sanjay Gandhi stepped out to organize the sloganeering. Maneka Gandhi and Yashpal Kapoor welcomed the press and Congress supporters. The gate had been cordoned off by the police.They all lined the narrow corridor as if at a funeral procession. Brahmanand Reddi, after his brave speeches of not supporting any individual cult in the party, looked as if his whole world had crumbled around him. In their over-enthusiasm to display their support, they perched themselves on top of the chairs, and carved wooden tables. Rajiv Gandhi, Mrs Gandhi's eldest son, walked around, for reasons unknown, with a screw driver and pliers. Bansi Lal wanted to talk to the press, but was refrained by Maneka. Bansi Lal was upset because the policemen did not recognize him as he had lost a considerable amount of weight. Radha Raman said: "Congressmen belong to jails. Look, she has been offered bail, but did she accept?" When it was pointed out that during the Emergency the detenus did not have a choice, Raman appeared embarrassed and turned away.Mrs Gandhi's lawyers surrounded the arresting officer. "Give a copy of the First Information Report (FIR)" said Frank Anthony, Mrs Gandhi's lawyer. "I am sorry sir," said the officer, "I have read it out to Mrs Gandhi. . .and I am not bound to give you a copy..." Meanwhile the journalists had streamed in. So had some of her admirers.At 7.30 p.m. the argument over handcuffs was still on. Charan Singh gave the orders: "Ask police officers to escort her straight away." At that time the minister of state for home, Mr B.P. Mondal, a protege of Charan Singh, was sipping coffee at the united Coffee House unaware of what was happening.It was time for Mrs Gandhi to leave, Tripathi and Reddi decided they would escort her from her bedroom door to her car. After the first two attempts, they quickly changed their minds, and parked themselves in a safe place. Mrs Gandhi marked her time well. The slogans were not yet loud enough. As if she was giving an encore, she went in and out of her bedroom door three times.Finally Mrs Gandhi walked out and stood on top of the car. The voices got hoarser. It all looked like a well rehearsed play. One dramatic supporter threw himself across her car. When the driver revved up the engine, he quickly withdrew. The rest of the crowd was quickly bustled into the blue Matador vans, driven by Rajiv and Sanjay. The vans followed Mrs Gandhi, and the occupants were taken to do their routine of slogan shouting. Dhirendra Brahmachari stayed behind to hold the fort.Late in the evening of October 3 an informal Cabinet meeting was called. Charan Singh, by now livid at the way the police had bungled, turned up 15 minutes late. By then the Prime Minister had accepted Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram's suggestion that the prosecution should not ask for police remand. Later, Mrs Charan Singh told a young member of the family: "Chaudhary Sahib ko itne gusse me kabhi nahi dekha' (I have never seen him so angry). The Chaudhary was heard to say, "They have sabotaged me once again. I will see to it that they are punished."Published By: AtMigration Published On: Mar 25, 2015 13:12 IST--- ENDS ---

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Indira Gandhi's arrest seen as Janata Party's first major political blunder

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