Cong placed democracy under arrest during Emergency: PM

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With the BJP commemorating 50 years of Emergency across the country through mock debates, engagements and felicitations of heroes of the Emergency who resisted suppression, the PM said the erstwhile Congress government led by PM Indira Gandhi “placed democracy under arrest on June 25, 1975”.

“On this day, the values enshrined in the Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished and several political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens were jailed. It was as if the Congress government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest,” Modi said in a post on X.

Hours later, the Congress hit back at the BJP for “politicising the day” with party president Mallikarjun Kharge dismissing commemoration events around the Emergency anniversary as “government’s dramatics to conceal governance failures and counter to the successful Samvidhan Bachao Yatras”.

The PM earlier said no Indian would ever forget the manner in which the spirit of the Constitution was violated, Parliament muzzled and courts controlled.

“The 42nd Amendment is a prime example of their (Congress) shenanigans. The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, and their dignity insulted,” said Modi, adding that “people from diverse ideologies collaborated to protect India’s democratic fabric and preserve the ideals for which freedom fighters devoted their lives”.

He said it was their collective struggle that forced the then Congress government to restore democracy and seek fresh elections, which it badly lost.

After the PM said June 25 was all about repeating the government’s commitments to principles of the Constitution with the goal of Viksit Bharat in mind, the Congress said the BJP’s Emergency offensive was just a “plain cover for its failures and falsehoods”.

“You (the BJP) have imposed an undeclared emergency.... The fact is Indira Gandhi realised her mistake and faced fresh elections. People forgave and re-elected her with a near two-thirds majority. The issue is over. Those who had no role in the freedom movement or in the drafting of the Constitution, those who opposed the Constitution saying it lacked in civilisational aspects are now speaking of saving the Constitution. The fact is they (the BJP and the PM) are scared of the success of our Samvidhan Bachao Yatras,” said Kharge, accusing the Centre of controlling institutions, including the Election Commission.

The Congress president said the EC had “failed to address genuine concerns of the Opposition and should focus on redressing them”.

“Thanks to the EC for the work it is doing for PM Modi. Whatever the PM says, the EC does,” Kharge said, demanding a return to paper ballots.

The BJP later said the Congress chief’s remarks on the day reflected his ignorance of the struggles people endured during the Emergency era.

The media was gagged, electricity was cut, the Emergency was declared without the Cabinet approval,” BJP’s Sambit Patra said.