The National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday admitted that presidential candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat did withdraw cases against himself after he became Rajasthan's chief minister in 1977, but said his action was part of a nationwide movement to undo the ills of Emergency.
BJP leader and Shekhawat's spokesperson Sushma Swaraj told media persons that he was booked under the Essential Commodities Act during Emergency because he had refused to pay land tax as part of a non-cooperation movement he had launched then while being in jail.
Swaraj asserted that his move was no different from a national movement at the time to undo the 'crimes' committed during Emergency and cited how the country's two news agencies merged during emergency were restored to their original status.
The BJP leader also cited withdrawal of charges against people booked in the Baroda dynamite case after the state of emergency was lifted.
Swaraj rejected reports that Shekhawat was sacked from police 60 years ago, saying he in fact resigned as sub-inspector and that his discharge note described him as a man of exemplary character.
She said his superiors had also certified him as an excellent police officer.
She circulated copies of a letter from a Rajasthan organisation in which it disowned a write-up carrying allegations against Shekhawat.
"These charges are baseless," she said.
