Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on October 10 hit out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks invoking the Emergency, asking him to stop claiming that the country was witnessing a similar situation. Prasad recalled the actions taken during former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s rule and accused the Congress of disregarding the history of the period.
Prasad said the country was aware of the circumstances surrounding the imposition of the Emergency in 1975, alleging that Indira Gandhi’s decision was aimed at protecting her position after her election was set aside.
“Rahul Gandhi, please stop this nonsense about the Emergency having returned. The country knows the entire history of the Emergency under your grandmother,” Prasad said, referring to Indira Gandhi.
The BJP leader argued that the Emergency was imposed after the Supreme Court did not grant the relief Indira Gandhi sought following the court's decision on her election. He also cited the supersession of judges, press censorship and restrictions on political parties as examples of the measures taken during the period.
Prasad further recalled the arrest of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) and alleged that members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were subjected to mistreatment during the Emergency.
Ravi Shankar Prasad raises questions over Election Commission appointments
During his remarks, Prasad also referred to the controversy surrounding former Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla and alleged concerns about his conduct during the Emergency. He claimed that a complaint regarding bias had been raised with the Election Commission and that then Chief Election Commissioner Gopal Swarup Pathak had recommended Chawla’s removal.
Prasad alleged that despite the recommendation, the subsequent Congress-led government under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Chawla as Chief Election Commissioner.
He also criticised Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, alleging that there had been an attempt to ban the BJP. Prasad used these references to challenge the Opposition's criticism of the BJP and its claims about the state of democracy in the country.
Prasad tells Rahul Gandhi not to lecture BJP on Emergency
Reiterating his criticism, Prasad said Rahul Gandhi should familiarise himself with the events of the Emergency before drawing comparisons with the present political situation. He maintained that the BJP and its ideological predecessors had opposed the Emergency and resisted the restrictions imposed during that period.
The Emergency, declared by Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, remained in force until March 21, 1977. The period saw widespread arrests of Opposition leaders, curbs on civil liberties and restrictions on press freedom. The Congress suffered an electoral defeat in the 1977 general elections, bringing the Emergency era to an end.
