New Delhi: BJP president JP Nadda on Tuesday reminded Congress of the "dark days of the Emergency" while criticizing the opposition for fielding K Suresh against the NDA's Om Birla in the Lok Sabha speaker elections.
At a rally at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi to mark the 49th anniversary of the state of emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi's government in 1975, Nadda accused the Congress of "hypocrisy and doublespeak" on the issue of electing the BJP president. Lok Sabha and stated that there is no room for democracy in the "mentality" of the main opposition party.
Nadda asked if there was any election for the Lok Sabha Speaker in which the Opposition made it a condition that the Deputy Speaker be decided first before reaching a consensus on the Speaker's position.
Congress MP Suresh is the opposition candidate for the Lok Sabha presidency against Birla of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has a majority in the Lower House.
Nadda said the Congress, which was vying for the vice president's post in the name of tradition, was not following the norm in the states ruled by it.
The Congress has its president and vice president in the Telangana and Karnataka assemblies, while the constituents of the INDIA block, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), DMK and the Left, have their own spokespersons and vice presidents in the West Bengal assemblies, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively. saying.
Nadda said it was the Congress government under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that "strangled" democracy by imposing Emergency on June 25, 1975 and carried out immense atrocities against those protesting.
"Those who insulted and ignored the Constitution several times have declared themselves protectors of the Constitution," he accused.
Recalling the days of the Emergency, Nadda said that the country's democracy today stands strong because of the sacrifices the people made to protect it at that time.
"Around 9,000 people were arrested overnight and imprisoned. No prominent leader was spared. There is a long list of leaders, including Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, who were in prison for more than 19 months. "Their only defect was that they raised their voices to strengthen democracy. "Everything was done to muzzle the media," he said.
Members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also joined the fight, which began in 1974, to save democracy and end poverty, corruption and nepotism, he said.
"Around 1.40 lakh people were arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and Defense of India Rules (DIR). Of them, 75,000 to 80,000 people were those who followed our ideology" , said.
Nadda said democracy was "restored" in 1977, when a "dictatorial government" of the Congress was ousted from power in the Lok Sabha elections.
"Rahul Gandhi doesn't know how democracy was strangled during those days. He doesn't know much about the history (of the country) because he hasn't studied the subject properly. Maybe he doesn't even have much interest in studying. I don't know how many degrees he has." said the BJP chief, attacking the Congress leader.
"These leaders are roaming around these days carrying copies of the Constitution. They should apologize to the country and also to Mahatma Gandhi (imposition of emergency) by visiting his memorial at Raj Ghat," he added.
On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi made the announcement of the imposition of the State of Emergency in a broadcast on All India Radio, shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay to an Allahabad High Court verdict declaring null and void. his election to the Lok Sabha was void. .
The 21 months were known for forced mass sterilizations, press censorship, suspension of constitutional rights, and centralization of power.
At a rally at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi to mark the 49th anniversary of the state of emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi's government in 1975, Nadda accused the Congress of "hypocrisy and doublespeak" on the issue of electing the BJP president. Lok Sabha and stated that there is no room for democracy in the "mentality" of the main opposition party.
Nadda asked if there was any election for the Lok Sabha Speaker in which the Opposition made it a condition that the Deputy Speaker be decided first before reaching a consensus on the Speaker's position.
Congress MP Suresh is the opposition candidate for the Lok Sabha presidency against Birla of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has a majority in the Lower House.
Nadda said the Congress, which was vying for the vice president's post in the name of tradition, was not following the norm in the states ruled by it.
The Congress has its president and vice president in the Telangana and Karnataka assemblies, while the constituents of the INDIA block, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), DMK and the Left, have their own spokespersons and vice presidents in the West Bengal assemblies, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively. saying.
Nadda said it was the Congress government under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that "strangled" democracy by imposing Emergency on June 25, 1975 and carried out immense atrocities against those protesting.
"Those who insulted and ignored the Constitution several times have declared themselves protectors of the Constitution," he accused.
Recalling the days of the Emergency, Nadda said that the country's democracy today stands strong because of the sacrifices the people made to protect it at that time.
"Around 9,000 people were arrested overnight and imprisoned. No prominent leader was spared. There is a long list of leaders, including Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, who were in prison for more than 19 months. "Their only defect was that they raised their voices to strengthen democracy. "Everything was done to muzzle the media," he said.
Members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also joined the fight, which began in 1974, to save democracy and end poverty, corruption and nepotism, he said.
"Around 1.40 lakh people were arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and Defense of India Rules (DIR). Of them, 75,000 to 80,000 people were those who followed our ideology" , said.
Nadda said democracy was "restored" in 1977, when a "dictatorial government" of the Congress was ousted from power in the Lok Sabha elections.
"Rahul Gandhi doesn't know how democracy was strangled during those days. He doesn't know much about the history (of the country) because he hasn't studied the subject properly. Maybe he doesn't even have much interest in studying. I don't know how many degrees he has." said the BJP chief, attacking the Congress leader.
"These leaders are roaming around these days carrying copies of the Constitution. They should apologize to the country and also to Mahatma Gandhi (imposition of emergency) by visiting his memorial at Raj Ghat," he added.
On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi made the announcement of the imposition of the State of Emergency in a broadcast on All India Radio, shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay to an Allahabad High Court verdict declaring null and void. his election to the Lok Sabha was void. .
The 21 months were known for forced mass sterilizations, press censorship, suspension of constitutional rights, and centralization of power.
