Emergency an unforgettable period in India’s history: Modi
PM also paid homage to those who resisted the dark days and worked to strengthen democracy
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New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues on Sunday recalled the “dark days” of Emergency, describing those days as an “unforgettable period” in the country’s history that was “totally opposite” to the Constitutional values.
On the 48th anniversary of the Emergency declared by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, several Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Anurag Thakur, Kiren Rijiju, Smriti Irani, Pralhad Joshi, Nitin Gadkari, and Arjun Ram Meghwal lashed out at the Congress, saying its leadership had jailed millions overnight, keeping the “ego of a family above national interest”.
“I pay homage to all those courageous people who resisted the Emergency and worked to strengthen our democratic spirit. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remain an unforgettable period in our history, totally opposite to the values our Constitution celebrates,” Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet. The BJP’s strong recall of the Emergency came days after the opposition parties, including the Congress, in Patna accused the Modi-led government of “trampling democratic rights” and “undermining democratic institutions.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that the imposition of Emergency was a “selfish” power struggle and continues to remain a symbol of Congress’ “dictatorial mentality.” “On this day in 1975, a family imposed an Emergency in the country, taking away the rights of the people and killing democracy, fearing losing power from their hands,” Shah said in a tweet in Hindi. “Imposition of Emergency for selfish power struggle is a symbol of Congress’ dictatorial mentality and an indelible taint on the party,” he said. Shah said that lakhs of people struggled to revive democracy facing many tortures. “I heartily salute all those patriots.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the days of Emergency were a “defining political experience” of his generation and “a lifelong lesson.” “On the anniversary of the declaration of Emergency, recall those dark days and how the nation overcame this challenge,” Jaishankar tweeted, adding, “It was the defining political experience of my generation and a lifelong lesson to strengthen our democratic fabric.”
