New Delhi, June 18: Most Congress leaders seemed excited about L.K. Advani's reference to the rise of "forces that can crush democracy" but avoided the subject publicly as the BJP veteran's observations were made in the context of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi.

The Congress, keen to prevent an Emergency-centric discourse, avoided official statements but many leaders gleefully dissected in private Advani's remarks published in a newspaper interview today. They agreed that the sulking veteran was targeting none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Asked for a formal response to Advani's statement, Congress general secretary C.P. Joshi merely said: "The BJP is in power at the Centre today. You can draw your own inference who Advani was referring to."

In The Indian Express interview, Advani said the political leadership does not inspire confidence that Emergency would not be imposed again. "At the present point of time, the forces that can crush democracy, notwithstanding the constitutional and legal safeguards, are stronger."

Former Congress communications chief Ajay Maken went a step further than party colleague Joshi, referring to "concentration of power in one man's hands" but he too avoided referring to Modi by name.

Maken said: "What we are seeing... one man presenting himself as the authority on everything, this kind of concentration of power. If the Prime Minister thinks and wants to act as the PM, finance minister, home minister and external affairs minister, all in one, that's not possible. Demolition of institutions and concentration of power destroys the basic spirit of democracy."

Some Congress leaders disagreed with the restrained approach, however, arguing that the party had already suffered a lot because of Emergency and it should not shy away from talking about Modi's alleged dictatorial tendencies even if Advani made those remarks in the context of a measure clamped by their leader Indira.

Advani, these leaders said, always recalled Emergency on the day was imposed, June 25, but for the first time expressed fears of a re-imposition.

The official Congress Twitter handle had a query: "Aapka Ishara kiske taraf hai Advaniji (Who are you pointing to, Advaniji?)"

The question betrayed the leadership's deep interest in the subject as senior leaders saw the remarks as an attack on the Modi-Amit Shah duo and their complete control over the BJP and the government.

Several Congress leaders suspect that the raging Lalit Modi controversy, which has engulfed external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, is also a ploy to harm Modi's detractors in the BJP.

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, a known baiter of the Prime Minister, has in a series of tweets insinuated that the entire conspiracy was hatched by Modi himself.

In one tweet a few days ago, he said: "Congratulate (TV journalist) Rajdeep (Sardesai) for getting Lalit to speak on camera. Confirms my guess the whole story scripted by Bada Modi (Big Modi) and delivered by Chhota Modi (Small Modi)."

In another post, Digvijaya referred to Vasundhara and said: "Vasundhara ji (your silence is a sign of guilt. Please come clean. But to Narendra Modi, silence is golden. Bada Modi kills two birds with Chhota Modi."

Digvijaya extended his attack and termed such alleged plots "the Gujarat model of development". "I am not surprised. He (Modi) sincerely believes in removing the ladder on which he climbs. Vaghela, Keshubhai, Kashiram Rana, Hiren Pandya, Haren Pathak and then Advaniji who saved him from being sacked and Murli Manohar Joshi."

In yet another tweet, Digvijaya warned finance minister Arun Jaitley and home minister Arun Jaitley: "Arunji (Jaitley) and Rajnathji (Singh) please beware, you may be the next!"

Joshi, the Congress general secretary, accused Modi of practising "vendetta politics," pointing to fresh CBI cases against Virbhadra Singh, the chief minister of party-ruled Himachal Pradesh, and raids on Gujarat leader Shankersinh Vaghela. Joshi said the Prime Minister wanted to silence opponents but the people of the country would read the message correctly.