B. J. Habibie vs George Fernandes

B. J. Habibie was appointed Minister of Research and Technology by President Suharto. He promoted industrial development, particularly in aerospace and shipbuilding, through state-owned enterprises.

B. J. Habibie was appointed Vice President of Indonesia by Suharto. He served for only two months before Suharto resigned amid the Asian financial crisis and widespread protests.

B. J. Habibie became President of Indonesia after Suharto's resignation. He initiated democratic reforms, including freeing political prisoners, allowing press freedom, and holding the first free elections in 1999.

B. J. Habibie allowed a UN-supervised referendum in East Timor, where voters chose independence from Indonesia. The decision was controversial but ended decades of conflict and occupation.

George Fernandes led the All India Railwaymen's Federation in a nationwide railway strike, demanding better wages and working conditions. The strike, involving 1.7 million workers, was crushed by the government, leading to his arrest.

George Fernandes was arrested and imprisoned during the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. He was held for 19 months, much of it in solitary confinement, for his opposition to the government.

George Fernandes was elected to the Lok Sabha from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, as a member of the Janata Party. This election followed the end of the Emergency and the defeat of Indira Gandhi's Congress.

George Fernandes was appointed Union Minister of Defence in the Vajpayee government, serving until 2004. He oversaw the Kargil War (1999) and the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, as well as defense modernization.

George Fernandes resigned as Defence Minister after the Tehelka sting operation alleged corruption in defense deals. He was later cleared of wrongdoing by a parliamentary committee, but the scandal damaged his reputation.