"50 yrs ago, Indira Gandhi conspired to destroy Constitution, democracy": CM Yogi on Emergency

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that fifty years ago, Congress, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, "conspired to destroy" the Constitution and democracy by imposing an Emergency in the country.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that fifty years ago, Congress, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, "conspired to destroy" the Constitution and democracy by imposing an Emergency in the country. Addressing a seminar on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency in Gorakhpur, CM Yogi said, "Congress 50 years ago, under the leadership of (former PM) Indira Gandhi, conspired to destroy the Constitution and democracy by imposing an Emergency. The rights of people were taken away, restrictions were imposed on media and a dictatorship-like atmosphere was imposed in the country."

He highlighted that Congress unethically dismissed governments in the states more than 90 times during its rule. "Congress has unethically dismissed governments in the states more than 90 times. Today their faces may have changed, but their basic character has not changed yet," CM Yogi added.

CM Yogi added, "Instead of bowing down to Congress, the democracy fighters chose the path of struggle, because for them, the country's 'Constitution' was supreme, 'Democracy' was supreme, 'India' was supreme." 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 prime minister 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. (ANI)

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