"Even 50 years later Congress continues with Emergency mindset": BJP on 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'

New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Bharatiya Janata Party president has launched a blistering attack on the Congress claiming that the party still continues with the ‘Emergency mindset’ and is trying to ‘murder the Constitution,’ just like Indira Gandhi did with imposition of Emergency.

The BJP chief on Wednesday recalled the Emergency on the day of ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas,’ held in remembrance every year on June 25. 

“India is the world’s oldest and largest democratic country. There have been some incidents in which there have been efforts to meddle with the fundamental soul of the Constitution. The nation sees it as a dark chapter within democracy. Today, Congress’ Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had announced the end of democracy 50 years ago,” Nadda said in a self-made video posted on X. 

The Union Minister said that an excuse of "internal unrest" was put up by the then Congress government, leading to the death of the Constitution, the mindset of which Congress continues to this day.

“This was not just a political incident, but a direct attack on democracy. On June 25, 1975, at midnight, the then PM Indira Gandhi had made the excuse of ‘internal unrest’ to impose the emergency and killed the constitution. 50 years later Congress is continuing with the same mindset to this day,” Nadda mentioned in the video.  

Talking about the lead up to the Emergency, the BJP chief mentioned how Indira Gandhi had her election win declared “null and void” by Allahabad High Court in 1975. Overnight press freedoms were curtailed, Article 352, which details the conditions to impose the emergency, was misused to put opposition leaders in jail. 

“In 1975, the High Court had found Indira Gandhi had violated the Constitution and had barred her from elections for 6 years. But overnight, the freedom of press was curtailed, opposition were put in jail, Article 352 was misused and democracy was destroyed,” Nadda said.   

On June 12, 1975 Justice Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha of the Allahabad High Court had found Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had guilty under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and disqualified her from holding any elected office for six years.

The case had been filed by Raj Narain, the founder of Janata Party (Secular), which eventually merged with the Janata Dal. Narain had lost to former PM Gandhi from her Rae Bareli seat. The Supreme Court then had granted a conditional stay to the PM, allowing her to remain in power and attend parliament sessions but not be able to vote. Following which, the emergency was imposed across the country 

This was the third such declaration in Independent India’s history, with the earlier times being for on war with China (1962) and Pakistan (1971). (ANI)