Shivraj recalls horrors of Emergency,says Cong undermined democracy

Time of India

12 hours ago

Varanasi: Recalling the horrors of Emergency, Union minister of agriculture, farmers welfare and rural development
on Friday accused the Congress of undermining democracy and demanded that the party should apologise to the nation for the excesses committed by it.
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Recalling his personal experience, he said that the horrors of the Emergency, which tore apart democracy, remain vivid in his memory. "Fifty years ago, in its arrogance and pride, Congress launched a direct assault on democratic values and constitutional systems. I was 16 years old at the time. Recalling that dark day still sends shivers down my spine," he said.
"On the midnight of June 25, 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency on the pretext of 'internal disturbance'.
This decision was driven by desperation to save her position after her election was annulled," he said.
"I was studying in class 11 at the time. One night, the police came to my door and asked for me. The police then questioned, 'Will you raise your voice against Indira Gandhi?' They handcuffed me and took me to the police station where I was tortured all night," he recalled.
He said that the Congress not only trampled democratic institutions but also crushed press freedom, judicial impartiality, and citizens' fundamental rights.
"All fundamental rights were cancelled, turning the entire country into a prison and all opposition parties were thrown into jails, making it clear that whenever their power is threatened, they do not hesitate to disregard the Constitution and the nation's soul," he said.
"The Congress murdered the Constitution, and it should apologise to the country for the Emergency," he said.
Comparing the Congress mindset with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Chouhan said, "The PM lives by constitutional values and respects democracy.
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When he first entered Parliament in 2014, he bowed at the steps of Parliament. Democracy is inherent in the BJP's nature. Our govt respects the core spirit of the Constitution. When needed, members of opposition parties are sent as govt representatives. Even 50 years later, Congress continues with the same mindset.
"
"Congress's new 'digital emergency' strategy involves spreading misinformation against the govt and tarnishing the country's image on international platforms.
When the country is progressing on all fronts, Congress is busy undermining every achievement of the govt," he said.
"By interfering in the judiciary, promoting chaos in the name of free speech and encouraging media trials, Congress wants to impose Emergency in new ways today," he said.
He said that Congress not only manipulated the Constitution to save its power but also to impose ideological agendas. "By amending the Constitution, terms like 'secular' and 'socialist' were added to impose Congress's agenda on the nation. This amendment extended the duration of the Emergency and gave the President the power to declare an Emergency without prior approval from Parliament," Chouhan said.