New Delhi: Reacting to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's statement on the emergency, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said on Saturday that if Congress and the INDI alliance get another chance, they will once again impose an emergency.
"Congress says they have apologised for emergency and why do you talk about it? But today it is clear that Congress and the INDI alliance support the emergency and don't condemn it. Even Bhupesh Baghel recently said that Indira Gandhi had the courage and therefore she imposed an emergency. Tomorrow, if Congress and the INDI alliance get another chance they will once again impose emergency," Shehzad said.
Earlier today, defending the Emergency imposed by the Congress party in 1975, Sanjay Raut said that if Atal Bihari Vajpayee had been the PM in a similar situation, then he would have also imposed the Emergency, adding that Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) openly supported the Emergency.
Addressing a press conference, Sanjay Raut said that the Emergency was imposed as it was a matter of national security.
He further said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at that time did not feel that the Constitution was murdered.
The Government of India on Friday announced that June 25 will be remembered annually as "Constitution Murder Day" in remembrance of the Emergency declared by the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi government in 1975.
The Emergency of 1975 in India stands as a stark chapter in the nation's history marked by widespread political turmoil and civil liberties suppression. Declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Emergency saw the suspension of fundamental rights and the imposition of strict censorship, aiming to quell political dissent and maintain order.
It resulted in the arrest of thousands of opposition leaders, activists, and journalists without due process, leading to a climate of fear and uncertainty. The period witnessed significant curtailments of press freedom and civil liberties, with media outlets facing censorship and restrictions on reporting.
The Emergency was lifted in 1977 following widespread public outcry and electoral defeat for the ruling party, underscoring the resilience of democratic institutions and the importance of upholding constitutional values in India's political landscape.
—ANI