Congress, its allies pose danger to democracy: Suresh Bhardwaj

Shimla, June 24

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj hit out at the Congress and said the “enemies of the Constitution” were now pretending to be the protectors of it.

While addressing the mediapersons here today, he said the Congress’s greed for power had been evident since 1975. He said the Emergency imposed by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi remains the darkest chapter in India’s history, one that the public had not forgotten so far.

“The Congress has a history of using unconstitutional means to remain in power, as seen during the Emergency. The Congress and its allies’ strategies still pose as much danger to our democracy today as they did in 1975,” he added.

Highlighting the Emergency period that lasted from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, he said fundamental democratic rights were suspended, Opposition leaders, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Rajnath Singh and JP Narayan were jailed overnight. As many as 1.4 lakh individuals were jailed, while 22 persons lost their lives during this period.

He said the actions of the Congress during the Emergency significantly had a negative impact on the Constitution and laws.

“Amendments were made by the Congress to prevent courts from applying principles of natural justice in arrest cases. Acts like the Maintenance of Internal Security Act and the Press Council Act were repealed to prevent the publication of objectionable material against the government,” he said.

“The 39th Constitutional Amendment prevented the Supreme Court from hearing petitions against the Prime Minister, President and Vice-President, thus shielding Indira Gandhi’s rule,” he said.