Indira's action crushed the soul of democracy: Dy CM
1
2
Prayagraj: Deputy Chief Minister
Keshav Prasad Maurya
on Wednesday said former PM late Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country on June 25, 1975, due to her personal political crisis and her act crushed the soul of democracy and snatched away the rights of Baba Saheb's Constitution.
"After the declaration of Emergency, the democratic rights of the people were taken away overnight; opposition party leaders were imprisoned, and all means of expression were banned. This is marked as a dark day in the democracy of the country," Maurya said to observe 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'.
He added that Emergency, which was lifted on March 21, 1977, was one of the most controversial events in the history of independent India.
"During the Emergency, Indira's son Sanjay Gandhi misused constitutional rights to forcibly launch a sterilisation campaign in the name of family planning. The Indira Gandhi govt ordered the demolition of huts at Turkman Gate in Delhi, and when people protested, the police opened fire, resulting in many deaths. Additionally, censorship was imposed on the media; foreign media correspondents were deported, and in 1976, the Home Ministry informed Parliament that 7,000 people were arrested for broadcasting anti-Emergency material," Maurya said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Free P2,000 GCash eGift
UnionBank Credit Card
Apply Now
Undo
The Dy CM further said when Jayaprakash Narayan launched an agitation, today's BJP, which was earlier Jan Sangh and Janata Dal, along with the real
Samajwadi Party
, enthusiastically participated in the movement.
However, he criticised Akhilesh Yadav, the current president of Samajwadi Party, for aligning with the Congress, which imposed the Emergency, and accused them of standing with the killers of democracy, whom the people of the country and the state will never forgive.
"In the 2027 assembly elections, the BJP will win with a huge majority. The Congress will be wiped out in the country and the Samajwadi Party from the state, making Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party free," he said. He added that the double engine govt has done tremendous work in the country and the state, bringing a wave of development.
"The rule of law has been established, and the Constitution is protecting democracy," Maurya said.
He also accused the SP of misleading people in the name of PDA and working to divide society and promote casteism in the state.
Later during a Loktantra Senani Samman Samaroh and seminar organised by BJP on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency in Pratapgarh, Maurya accused the SP chief and its leaders of being fake socialists for siding with the Congress. "The soul of real socialists will never forgive them," he said.
He further said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an accepted leader not only in the country but also across the world and BJP, under his guidance, will not let the Constitution be harmed. Whoever attacks it will be taught a lesson." In response to a question on the case of insult of a kathavachak in Etawah, Maurya said that no one should be insulted, and everyone has the right to do bhakti and satsang.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
14 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Congress believes in India first but some put PM Modi first: Kharge on Shashi Tharoor article
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that while his party believed in putting India first, 'some people' placed Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the country. Kharge's comment at a press conference came in response to a question about an article written by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor, who headed a parliamentary delegation for the diplomatic outreach undertaken by the Union government following the Pahalgam terror attack and the four-day conflict with Pakistan, had praised Modi's approach in an article in The Hindu on Monday. The Thiruvananthapuram MP described Modi's 'energy, dynamism and willingness to engage' as a 'prime asset' for India on the world stage, adding that the prime minister deserved more support. The Congress has repeatedly accused the Union government of weakening Indian diplomacy and leaving the country 'isolated' globally. When asked about Tharoor's article at the press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, Kharge said: 'I can't read English well. His [Tharoor's] language is very good. That's why we have made him a Congress Working Committee member.' Opposition parties had supported the Indian military during Operation Sindoor, said the Congress chief. 'We said that the country is supreme and we will work together for the country,' Kharge said. 'We said 'country first, party later'. Some people say 'Modi first, country later'. What can we do about that?' When asked what action the Congress could possibly take against Tharoor, Kharge said that 'people will write as they please'. 'We do not want to bother ourselves about it,' Kharge added. 'Our only target is unity in the country and security of the country. We will keep fighting for the country…There is no need to pay attention to what anyone says.' The Congress had distanced itself from Tharoor's remarks on Tuesday, saying that it was his personal view and did not reflect the party's stand. 'That may be his [Tharoor's] opinion but that is not the Congress party's view,' The Hindu quoted Supriya Shrinate, who heads the Congress' social media unit, as having told reporters. 'It is not the Congress view since we have presented our views with evidence and proof.' Hours after Kharge's remarks on Wednesday, Tharoor posted an image of a bird on social media platform X, with the caption: 'Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one.' — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 25, 2025 The diplomatic outreach by the Indian government came in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which left 26 dead, and the subsequent Indian military strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what New Delhi claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict.
NDTV
21 minutes ago
- NDTV
For Me, Constitution Is Supreme, Not Parliament: Chief Justice Of India BR Gavai
Amravati: Chief Justice of India B R Gavai has said the Constitution of India is supreme and all three wings of democracy work under it. Referring to a judgment passed by the Supreme Court on the foundation of the Basic Structure' doctrine, he said Parliament has the power to amend, but it cannot alter the basic structure of the Constitution. Justice Gavai, who took oath as the 52nd CJI last month, was speaking on Wednesday at his felicitation in Amravati city of eastern Maharashtra, his hometown. He said while some people say Parliament is supreme, in his opinion the Constitution is paramount. There is always a discussion as to which wing of democracy -- the executive, legislature or the judiciary -- is supreme, he said. "While many say and believe that Parliament is supreme, according to me, it is the Constitution of India that is supreme. All three wings of the democracy work under the Constitution," he said. A judge does not become independent just by passing orders against the government, he further said. "A judge should always remember that we have a duty, and we are custodians of the rights of citizens and constitutional values and principles. We don't just have power, but a duty is cast upon us," he said. A judge should not be guided by what people will say or feel about their judgment, the CJI said. "We have to think independently. What people will say cannot become a part of our decision-making process," he added. The CJI asserted that he always let his judgments and work speak, and always stood by the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. Referring to his judgment against "bulldozer justice", he said the right to shelter is supreme. CJI Gavai also reminisced about his childhood days, saying while he wanted to be an architect, his father wished that he become a lawyer. "My father had wanted to become a lawyer but was unable to become one, as at the time he was arrested for being part of the freedom movement," he said. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV
22 minutes ago
- NDTV
In Parliament vs Constitution Row, Chief Justice BR Gavai Weighs In, Says...
New Delhi: The Constitution is the final legal authority in a democracy and all three wings - the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary - must work together and under it, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said Wednesday at a private event in his hometown of Amravati in eastern Maharashtra. On the face of it, the the Chief Justice was referring to Supreme Court's judgment in the 1973 Kesavananda Bharti case and the 'basic structure' doctrine - i.e., fundamental features of the Constitution cannot be altered or destroyed through amendments passed by Parliament. The remarks, however, have also been seen as a reminder to recent criticism of the judiciary - inlcuding Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party - over a landmark verdict that set deadlines for the President and state Governors to clear bills. "There is always a discussion as to which wing of democracy - executive, legislature or judiciary - is supreme. Many say and believe Parliament is supreme but, for me, it is the Constitution..." "A judge does not become independent just by passing orders against the government... a judge should always remember his/her duty. We are custodians of the rights of citizens and constitutional values and principles. We don't just have power... a duty is cast upon us." "A judge should not be guided by what people will say about their judgment... We have to think independently. What people say (about the judiciary) cannot affect our decision-making." The Chief Justice's sobering words were seen as a pointed response to Mr Dhankhar's attacks in April and May, when he demanded the judiciary not "encroach" on other institutions' roles. Parliament Supreme, Dhankhar Insists In his comments in May the Vice President did not refer directly to the judiciary. But the Veep's April attacks were more pointed. A lawyer himself, he questioned the remit of the Supreme Court within the framework of the government as defined in the Constitution, holding the Parliament 'supreme' and MPs the 'ultimate masters' of the Constitution'. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar believes the Parliament is higher than the Constitution (File). "There cannot be any authority above them," he declared. Mr Dhankhar also referred to the Kesavananda Bharati case, but to make a different point. He contrasted that judgement with the 1967 IC Golaknath case to criticise the Supreme Court for making 'contradictory' statements in separate cases about the Preamble of the Constitution. "In one case, Supreme Court says Preamble is not part of the Constitution... in another it says it is... but let there be no doubt... elected representatives will be ultimate masters of what the Constitution will be," the Vice President, who is also Chairperson of the Upper House, said. What Was The Judiciary Row? The face-off between the judiciary and its critics was triggered after the Supreme Court's judgement on the President and state Governors withholding consent to bills. The court invoked Article 142 - which gives it special powers to pass orders "necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it" - in a judgement on a Tamil Nadu case. Days later Mr Dhankhar called Article 142 ' a nuclear missile against democracy '. He was joined in his attacks by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who claimed the Supreme Court is "taking India towards anarchy". The court took a dim view of Mr Dubey's remarks and sought an explanation. What The Government Said On paper the government distanced itself from the row and from Mr Dubey's remarks, insisting that respect for the judiciary is of paramount importance for a fully functioning democracy. The judiciary and legislature are 'two sides of the same coin', sources told NDTV in April. What Supreme Court Said Amid the flurry of criticism, Justice Surya Kant - the second in line to become Chief Justice - said the Supreme Court and its judges were not worried. "...the institution comes under attack every day," he said, also in April, as he heard a contempt of court case from Karnataka. Meanwhile, all this back and forth also triggered a political clash between the BJP and the Congress-led opposition, which accused the federal government of trying to weaken the independent judiciary.
