Baroda dynamite case is the term used for the criminal politically-motivated case launched by Indira Gandhi government in India in Indian Emergency (1975 - 77) against the opposition leader George Fernandes and others.
The CBI charged George and others on false and made-up charges of smuggling dynamite to blow up government establishments and railway tracks in protest against the state of emergency. They were also charged with waging war against the state to overawe and overthrow the government. The accused were arrested in June 1976 and imprisoned.
The Case saw the main accused Fernandes emerge as one of the inspiring symbols of resistance against an authoritarian regime of Indira Gandhi. The other prominent accused were Viren J. Shah, Madhu Limaye, M.S.Apparao, Madhu Dandavate, Snehalata Reddy and others.
The case was tried in Delhi, the CBI justifying the action on the ground that even though the site of the incident was Baroda, the case had national ramifications.
Fernandes fought the 1977 Lok Sabha election from Muzaffarpur in Bihar while in jail as an under trial in the case. He swept the polls with his supporters campaigning with his photo in prison cage and chains. Janata Party withdrew the case on coming to power in 1977 and all accused were released.
Famous quotes containing the words dynamite and/or case:
“Lady Dynamite, let’s dance quickly,
Let’s dance and sing and dynamite everything!”
—French anarchist song of the 1880s.
“When a thing is said to be not worth refuting you may be sure that either it is flagrantly stupid—in which case all comment is superfluous—or it is something formidable, the very crux of the problem.”
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936)