PM Modi takes a swipe at Congress, says 'attempts made to crush democracy during Emergency'

PM Modi takes a swipe at Congress, says 'attempts made to crush democracy during Emergency'

Speaking about the Emergency a day after its 47th anniversary, he noted that all rights, including the right to life and personal liberty, were snatched away and controls were imposed on all institutions, including judiciary and media

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Sunday, June 26, 2022, 02:19 PM IST
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi | Twitter/@narendramodi

New Delhi: Targeting the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that attempts were made to "crush democracy" during the Emergency imposed in 1975, and asserted that it is difficult to find another example in the world where people defeated a "dictatorial mindset" through democratic means.

Speaking about the Emergency a day after its 47th anniversary, he noted that all rights, including the right to life and personal liberty, were snatched away and controls were imposed on all institutions, including judiciary and media.

'All rights were snatch away'

Emergency was announced in the country on June 25, 1975 when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister, and was lifted on March 21, 1977.

"During the Emergency, all rights were snatched away. Among these rights was the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. At that time, attempts were made to crush democracy in India, the country's courts, every constitutional institution, press, everything was brought under control," Modi said without naming the Congress.

He said censorship was so stringent that nothing could be published without approval.

"I remember when famous singer Kishore Kumar ji refused to praise the government, he was banned, he was not allowed on radio," the prime minister said.

Despite several attempts, thousands of arrests and atrocities on millions, the faith of Indians in democracy could not be shaken, he asserted.

"The democratic values ingrained in us since centuries, the spirit of democracy that flows in our veins, ultimately triumphed," Modi said.

Through democratic means, people of India got rid of the Emergency and restored democracy, he said.

"It is difficult to find an example like this in the world of defeating the dictatorial mindset through democratic means," Modi said.

"I was fortunate to be a witness as well as a participant in the struggle of our countrymen during the Emergency. Today, when the country is celebrating 75 years of its Independence, we must not forget the dark period of Emergency. Future generations also must not forget it," he said.

The Emergency

The Emergency in India was a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country.

Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution because of the prevailing "internal disturbance", the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977.

The order bestowed upon the Prime Minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be cancelled and civil liberties to be suspended.

For much of the Emergency, most of Indira Gandhi's political opponents were imprisoned and the press was censored.

Several other human rights violations were reported from the time, including a mass forced sterilization campaign spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, the Prime Minister's son. The Emergency is one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history.

The final decision to impose an emergency was proposed by Indira Gandhi, agreed upon by the president of India, and thereafter ratified by the cabinet and the parliament (from July to August 1975), based on the rationale that there were imminent internal and external threats to the Indian state.

(with inputs from PTI)

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