1975 Emergency anniversary: ​​Dark days remind of how Congress trampled fundamental freedoms and violated Constitution, says PM Modi

On the 49th anniversary of the Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25 said that its dark days were a reminder of how the Congress had taken away fundamental freedoms and trampled on the Constitution, which every Indian holds dear. does.

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Targeting the main opposition party, he said in posts on X that those who imposed emergency have no right to express their love for our constitution.

“These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on countless occasions, got the bill to destroy freedom of press, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution,” Mr. Modi said. “The mentality that led to the imposition of Emergency is very much alive in the very party that imposed it. They hide their distaste for the Constitution through their symbols but the Indian people have seen their antics and that's why. They have rejected it again and again,” he said.

“Just to cling to power, the then Congress government ignored every democratic principle and turned the country into a prison,” Mr. Modi said, adding that anyone who disagreed with the party would be jailed. was tortured and harassed.

“Socially regressive policies were implemented to target the weaker sections,” he said.

On June 25, 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency, suspended civil liberties, jailed opposition leaders and dissidents, and imposed press censorship.

The Prime Minister said that the anniversary on June 25 is a day to pay homage to all the great men and women who resisted the Emergency.

The first day of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday saw a war of words between Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Mallikarjan Kharge over the imposition of Emergency.

BJP leaders launched a fierce attack.

The BJP launched a scathing attack on the Congress on June 25, the 49th anniversary of the Emergency, which Union Home Minister Amit Shah said was the biggest example of the opposition party's long history of killing and repeatedly undermining democracy. Is.

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BJP president JP Nadda said on 'X' that those who claim to be the defenders of Indian democracy today have left no stone unturned to suppress voices raised in defense of constitutional values.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the Emergency, which was imposed in 1975 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi before being lifted and holding elections in 1977, was a dark chapter of Indian democracy that could not be forgotten.

“The dictatorship and abuse of power was shown brazenly during this period,” Mr. Singh said on 'X', adding that it raises a big question mark on the commitment of many political parties to democracy.

The BJP's sharp criticism of the Congress comes amid a concerted campaign by opposition parties to accuse the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of acting against the constitution.

As the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began, Congress and other opposition members raised copies of the Constitution in Parliament on Monday.

PM Modi on Monday also called for the imposition of emergency to target the Congress and appealed to the people to ensure that it is never repeated.

In his post in Hindi on 'X', Mr. Shah said the “arrogant and totalitarian” Congress government has suspended civil rights of people for 21 months for the sake of one family's power.

He paid tribute to those who fought against emergency and said that censorship was imposed on the media, the constitution was amended and even the judiciary was stopped.

BJP chief and Union Minister Nadda said that the Congress's politically driven decision to impose emergency has shaken the pillars of democracy as it tried to undermine the constitution given by BR Ambedkar. .

He said that during this period, those who today claim to be the custodians of Indian democracy, left no stone unturned to suppress voices raised in defense of constitutional values.

“I am proud that our party belongs to the tradition that resisted the Emergency and worked to protect democracy,” Nadda added.