"Will BJP raise allowance of Loktantra Senani?": Akhilesh Yadav asks party over Emergency motion in House

New Delhi [India], June 26 : Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday came down heavily on BJP after the motion read by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against the Emergency in Parliament and said that if the party cares so much about the Emergency era, then it should increase the allowance of Loktantra Rakshak Senani.
Loktantra Rakshak Senani are the ones who were imprisoned under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), during the Emergency period, from 1975 to 1977, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Currently, the Loktantra Rakshak Senani are receiving an allowance of Rs 20,000.
Speaking with ANI, Yadav said, "Whatever the BJP has done today is just pretence. It wasn't just them who went to jail at that time (Emergency). All the leaders, including Samajwadi Party leaders, had seen that era. But how long will we look back at the past?..."
He added, "BJP reduced the facilities given to Loktantra Rakshak Senani... If BJP is such a well-wisher, then why not have the party doubled their allowance? Will the BJP increase the allowance and facilities given to Loktantra Rakshak Senani?... BJP should tell when it will give Rs 1 lakh allowance for the Loktantra Senani?"
Earlier in the day, in his address to the house, Birla condemned the Congress-led government's decision to impose an emergency in 1975 and the house also maintained a two-minute silence for the people who lost their lives during the period.
Even as the newly elected speaker was making his speech, the opposition parties continued sloganeering "Stop Dictatorship". Afterwards, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till June 27.
While addressing the Lok Sabha, Birla had said, "This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India. 25th June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India," Birla said.
"On this day, Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in the country and attacked the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. India is known all over the world as the mother of democracy. Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India. Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Dictatorship was imposed on such an India by Indira Gandhi. The democratic values of India were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled," he added.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and MP from Kota, Om Birla was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha after the motion for the same was moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The motion was adopted by the house through a voice vote.