People of Dakshina Kannada should be indebted to Indira Gandhi for reforms she carried out in district. She should not be maligned for imposition of Emergency in 1975, said former Bantwal MLA and vice-president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee B. Ramanath Rai in Mangaluru on Friday.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Rai said it was during Indira Gandhi’s period that land reforms were undertaken when many who were tilling the land became its owner. All banks were nationalised in her period.

These two reforms benefited many residents of Dakshina Kannada district. It is in Congress government’s rule that many development works were undertaken in the region.

“We should be indebted to Indira Gandhi,” he said. There were many reasons, apart from Supreme Court upholding judgement of Allahabad High Court nullifying Indira Gandhi’s election, for imposition of emergency. “She cannot be maligned for this sole decision,” Mr. Rai said. “No one in Dakshina Kannada were affected because of imposition of emergency,” he added.