Sunday, June 26 2005 20:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Criticising the imposition of Emergency 30 years ago, former Prime Minister Chandrashekar today (Jun 26, 2005) said Indian democracy was at present under "greater threat" than during 1975-77 because of a "weaker leadership".

"Emergency was imposed to remain in power. Thereafter Constitution was amended leading to its distortion. But the greed to remain in power has put democracy under threat," he said.

He said that there were stalwarts like Jaya Prakash Narain, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee during that period.

"But there is no leader who can be compared to them now," the former Prime Minister, known as a 'young Turk' then, added.

Democracy was under threat only in India then but the entire subcontinent faces such a problem now, he said.

He refrained from making comments on leaders saying "it would not be fair as some were no longer alive".