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‘Dark day in history of India’: Speaker invokes emergency in Parliament
Om Birla, re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker, condemns 1975 Emergency as a dark day in Indian history, urging unity and constructive discussions in Parliament.
New Delhi: Om Birla, shortly after being elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for the second consecutive time, invoked the Emergency era imposed by the then Prime Minister and Congress leader Indira Gandhi in 1975 and called it the “dark day in the history of India”. Birla said the Emergency had attacked the Constitution made by Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Birla, a National Democratic Alliance nominee, was elected as Lok Sabha speaker after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopted through voice vote.
Shortly after his election, he read out a resolution condemning the Emergency period. “This House deeply condemns the imposition of National Emergency in 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. June 25, 1975, would always be written down as a dark day in the history of India,” Birla said.
He added, “This house extends its respect to those who fought against the provisions of Emergency to protect Democracy in India.”
PM Modi thanked the Birla for condemning the 1975 Emergency, which lasted for two years. He said that although the Emergency was imposed 50 years ago, it is crucial for today’s youth to understand it. He said that the Emergency serves as a stark reminder of the consequences when the Constitution is disregarded, public opinion is suppressed, and institutions are undermined.
“I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time, and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled,” PM Modi said in an X post.
The remarks were, however, not received well by the Opposition and led to sloganeering in the House.
Quoting Modi, who said that the last five years under Om Birla as the Speaker of the Lower House has been a golden period, K Francis Geroge of the Kerala Congress Party, said, “What was golden about the period? How can a period when bills were passed without discussion and members were suspended en masse, be called golden?”
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised Birla’s invoking the Emergency in the Parliament as “unfortunate” and said that this was not necessary
by the Speaker.
“It was 49 years ago. If you have to go to such lengths on a day on which the message was to be one of cooperation and consensus, that is unfortunate,” he said.
Opposition MPs demanded the Speaker for recognition of smaller parties and minorities. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, “I would urge the Speaker to give more representation and time to smaller parties and minorities.” Similarly, Chandrashekhar Azad also urged the Speaker for greater representation of their relatively new party and make their voices heard.
Birla urged the 18th Lok Sabha to be one with a new vision and aspirations, along with high-level discussion and deliberation in the direction of achieving a Developed India or Viksit Bharat. While commemorating the Constituent Assembly and the makers of the Constitution, Birla urged the House to formulate policies respecting national and public interest.
Speaking about his goal as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, Birla said, “This Parliament should house all ideologies and ideas. Agreement and disagreement are the strength of our democracy. But despite all our differences, the nation is foremost.”
He urged the Opposition to voice their disagreements within the boundaries of the Constitution and the rules of the House while for the government to incorporate constructive suggestions in the formulation of policies.
“The Parliament is run by the Opposition and government alike. My aim would be to impartially make every person, every ideology, and every party heard since the people of this country have elected them” said Birla.
(with PTI inputs)
