"Constitution important for NDA": Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia terms Emergency 'black day'
Jun 25, 2024
Guna (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 25 : Terming the Emergency as the "black day," Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the Constitution of the country is very important for the Bharatiya Janta Party-led National Democratic Alliance.
Speaking to the reporters on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Scindia said, "Today, 25 June is the anniversary of the Emergency... Today we should keep that black day in mind so that such an incident never happens again in the future. Democracy in the country should remain strong. The Constitution of the country is very important for the BJP, NDA government ..."
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi, in sharp criticism of the Congress, said that the dark days of the Emergency are a reminder of how the Congress Party trampled over the Constitution of India.
Taking to X PM Modi posted, "Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the emergency. The Dark Days of Emergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India, which every Indian respects greatly."
He further said that just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle.
"Just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections," the PM wrote.
The Emergency, which is considered to be one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history, was imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975, to 1977.
There were political arrests, mass forced sterilisation and beautification drives, among others during the period.
All key opposition leaders at the time, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, and Jay Prakash Narayanan, among others, were either jailed or placed under detention.
