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Emergency’s ‘dark days’ can never be forgotten, says PM
“The period from 1975 to 1977 witnessed a systematic destruction of institutions. Let us pledge to do everything possible to strengthen India’s democratic spirit, and live up to the values enshrined in our Constitution,” tweeted the PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the Congress on the 46th anniversary of Emergency, imposed from 1975 to 1977, and said that “the dark days of Emergency can never be forgotten”.
“The #DarkDaysOfEmergency can never be forgotten.The period from 1975 to 1977 witnessed a systematic destruction of institutions. Let us pledge to do everything possible to strengthen India’s democratic spirit, and live up to the values enshrined in our Constitution,” tweeted Modi on the 46th anniversary of the declaration of the state of Emergency.
“This is how Congress trampled over our democratic ethos. We remember all those greats who resisted the Emergency and protected Indian democracyWe remember all those greats who resisted the Emergency and protected Indian democracy,”the PM wrote in another tweet.
The Emergency was imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977, when curbs were imposed on the fundamental rights of people.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said during the Emergency, the Congress even banned movies about freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad, quotes of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, songs of Kishor Kumar, and India’s right to dissent.
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Union home minister Amit Shah called the emergency a period of “brutal tortures” and “ruthless rule of 21 months” to “quell the voices against one family.”
“Emergency imposed to quell the voices against one family is a dark chapter in the history of independent India. Salute to the sacrifice of all the countrymen who fought relentlessly for the protection of the Constitution and democracy of the country while suffering the brutal tortures of the ruthless rule for 21 months,” he said.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh termed the 1975 emergency as a “dark chapter” in the history of Indian democracy and saluted all those who have played a role in the safeguarding of democracy.
“Emergency is known as a ‘dark chapter’ in the history of Indian democracy. The manner in which the Constitution was misused to attack the democratic traditions of the country can never be forgotten. Even today that era is fresh in the memories of all of us,” said the Defence Minister in a tweet.
Responding to the criticism, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor attacked the BJP-ruled central government and wrote on Twitter, “We are suffering a nationwide shortage of doctors to battle #Covid19, but continue to spurn fully qualified Foreign Medical graduates. Why can’t we recognize foreign medical degrees at least during this period of national emergency?”
Congress spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh said that it was pointless of BJP to preach about democracy as India is going through a “Modigency” since the last 7 years which have witnessed “trampling down of all the democratic institutions”. “All the institutions have been eroded, parliament has lost its credibility and even the pleas for protecting the democratic rights are seen by this government as anti national acts,” Vallabh said.
