Five decades after Emergency: Entire blame lies with Congress, Indira: BJP Minority Morcha chief

Marking the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in India, BJP Minority Morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui lashed out at the Congress, calling June 25, 1975, “the darkest day in the history of Indian democracy”.

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He said the Emergency was nothing short of a “direct assault on the Constitution and the democratic values of the country”. In a statement on the occasion of Samvidhan Hatya Diwas (Constitution Murder Day), Siddiqui said, “Exactly 50 years ago, the sun of Indian democracy was eclipsed. The entire blame for this undemocratic act lies solely with the Congress and Indira Gandhi. The Emergency period is a grim reminder of how power was misused to crush civil liberties.”

“Today, Congress leaders roam around with a copy of the Constitution in their hands, claiming that democracy is under threat. But it was this very party that imposed Emergency and violated the fundamental principles of the Constitution. During that time, civil rights were suspended, press freedom was throttled, opposition leaders were jailed, and political dissent was ruthlessly crushed,” he added.

He alleged that legal procedures were openly misused during the period, and thousands were imprisoned without trial.

“To secure her own power, Indira manipulated laws at will. Many economic policies introduced during that time adversely impacted India’s development. Government control over businesses increased, which led to a phase of economic stagnation,” he said.

Siddiqui added that Emergency triggered widespread public outrage across the country.

“In the 1977 general elections that followed, the Congress suffered a massive defeat, proving that the people rejected Emergency, which was imposed purely for personal political gain,” he said.