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Emergency an assault on people's freedom: BJP
Ongole: The Bharatiya Janata Party Prakasam district unit organised a seminar on 'Emergency by Congress Party- 50 Years to the Dark Chapter' at the AKVK College here on Wednesday.
Addressed the gathering, BJP Prakasam district president Seggem Srinivasa Rao said that the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi in 1975 was assault on people's freedom and democracy. He described the period as one of the darkest chapters in Indian democratic history, and the moment when democratic values were murdered through the suppression of civil liberties.
Chief speaker Srirama Sharma provided a detailed historical context of the events leading to the Emergency. He recounted the pivotal 1971 parliamentary elections in Raebareli, where Indira Gandhi defeated Raj Narain of the Socialist Party. He explained how the Navnirman movement in 1973 led to Congress Chief Minister Chiman Bhai Patel losing power in Gujarat, followed by the Janata government coming to power in 1974.
Sharma elaborated on the legal challenges that preceded the Emergency, particularly the petition filed by Raj Narain in the Allahabad High Court against Indira Gandhi's election. Rather than respecting Justice JML Sinha's verdict invalidating Gandhi's election and barring her from contesting elections for six years, Sharma explained that Gandhi declared a state of emergency in 1975, leading to the arrest and imprisonment of opposition leaders from all parties.
Srirama Sharma recollected that the emergency period saw severe restrictions on press freedom and judicial independence. He said that the RSS and its affiliated organisations were banned, along with Jamiat-e-Islami and several other organisations labelled as extremist. Several BJP leaders, including former district president PV Sivareddy, district general secretary Kookatla Nageswara Rao, Bodduluri Anjaneyulu, and others were present.
