New Delhi, Jun 24 (PTI) Describing Emergency as a conspiracy to convert a multi-party democracy into a dictatorship, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday hit out at DMK, socialist leaders and others who have joined hands with the Congress, saying they were sitting with a party that had “murdered democracy”.
Addressing an event “50 Years Since Emergency”, Shah said that June 25 — the day Emergency was imposed — reminds everyone how far the Congress can go for power.
To those questioning the relevance of discussing something that had happened half a century ago, Shah said an event like Emergency, which “murdered the Constitution”, should never be forgotten because such circumstances can come up again, and asserted that the country will never accept dictatorship.
He said it was difficult to define Emergency in a single sentence but he has tried to come up with a definition — “Emergency was a conspiracy to convert a multi-party democracy of a democratic country into a dictatorship”.
The home minister said it may be 50 years since the Emergency of 1975, but the memories of “injustice, tyranny and dictatorship” of the Congress were still fresh in everyone’s mind.
He said after the imposition of Emergency, 1.1 lakh people — opposition leaders, student activists, journalists and editors — were arrested across the country.
Subsequently, non-Congress governments in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu were dismissed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he said.
“Unfortunately, many of those who faced the wrath of Emergency, are now aligned with the Congress party.
“People who are standing with the Congress now are those whose governments fell at that time and were put behind bars for 19 months. There were ‘samajwadi’ (socialists), DMK and others who are now sitting with the Congress.
“Today, they are raising questions concerning democracy. I want to ask these people, rather than the Congress, under what right are they raising these questions? Which party are you sitting with, the party that murdered democracy,” he said.
Shah said India can’t accept dictatorship as this country is the birthplace of democracy.
“No one except a small coterie surrounding the tyrant liked Emergency as they benefited from it. That is why when Emergency was lifted, the people of India elected the country’s first non-Congress government (at the Centre),” he said.
The home minister said it is the sycophants who end the run of dictators with their sycophancy.
He said the Congress lost its dominance as the country’s major party post-Emergency and never got its strength back.
“The party that now calls for protecting the Constitution was the one that murdered democracy,” he said.
On the reasons behind Emergency imposition, Shah said at that time there was no threat to the country, India had just won the war with the creation of Bangladesh and the only threat was to Indira Gandhi’s position.
“The reason for imposing Emergency was not to protect the country’s security but Indira Gandhi’s power,” he said.
Sharing his personal experience, the home minister said he was just 11 years old when Emergency was imposed and 184 people from his village in Gujarat were arrested and lodged at the Sabarmati jail.
The home minister said on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, many people were questioning the relevance of discussing something that had happened half a century ago.
A similar question was raised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that June 25 would be observed as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ a few years ago, he said.
“I believe that both good and bad national events must be remembered after 50 years, as people tend to forget.
“But an event like Emergency, which murdered the Constitution of our country, should never be forgotten because such circumstances can come up again,” he said.
Shah said everyone should remember that lakhs of people sacrificed and fought during that difficult period and democracy was restored because the people of India can never tolerate dictatorship.
He said it has been 50 years, but the wounds of that episode are still fresh in the minds of the people.
“The night of June 24, 1975, was the longest night in independent India as dawn came only after 21 months. Democracy took rebirth after those 21 months,” he said.
The home minister said people had awakened and understood that the votes they gave out of emotion were being misused.
“Understanding this, Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency. At 4 am, a cabinet meeting was called. Babu Jagjivan Ram and Swaran Singh (both ministers then) later said that even the agenda was not discussed with them. They were only informed. The Union Home Secretary was summoned and further orders were issued,” he said.
Shah said (on June 25, 1975) at 8 am, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced through the All India Radio that the President had imposed Emergency.
“Was Parliament’s approval taken? Was a cabinet meeting called? Were the people of the country taken into confidence? None was done.
“For those who talk about democracy today, I want to tell them that they are associated with a party that murdered democracy,” he said.
The home minister said one can’t imagine that anyone could be jailed just for having the thought of being free and it was difficult to fathom how cruel that morning might have been for the people of India.
He said when elections were held after Emergency was lifted, people from his village came on a truck and stood in front of the Times of India building (in Ahmedabad) watching the Lok Sabha election results.
“When we came to know that Indira Gandhi lost the elections and Sanjay Gandhi too lost, the happiness on the faces of thousands of people is something that I can never forget,” he said.
Shah also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a book on Emergency and it will be released on Wednesday.
“It is on the struggle and the developments that took place during and after Emergency,” he said.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
