Press release by BJYM

 

BJYM holds virtual rally to commemorate the black days of  Emergency

 

New Delhi, June 26, 2022: Yesterday, the BJYM held a virtual rally across India. This day in the history of India is marked as a black chapter when we witnessed the imposition of a National Emergency by the then Congress Government.

“The President has proclaimed Emergency. There is nothing to panic about.” The words of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi blared from the All India Radio in the wee hours of June 26. The nation, on the receiving end of this piece of news, was as unsuspecting of it as were Gandhi’s Cabinet ministers who had been informed just hours before the PM proceeded to the AIR studio. The proclamation of Emergency had been signed by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed the previous night itself. Soon after, newspaper presses across Delhi sank into darkness as a power cut ensured that nothing could be printed for the next two days. In the early hours of June 26, on the other hand, hundreds of political leaders, activists, and trade unionists opposed to the Congress Party were imprisoned.

The reasons for the declaration were cited as risks to national security and poor economic conditions. The number of those in Indira Gandhi's prisons during the Emergency far exceeded the total number imprisoned during the Quit India of 1942." The whole democratic system of India was disturbed due to this National Emergency. In 1976, during the time of internal emergency, the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act was passed, which strengthened the union executive and contributed to the further centralization of power. This amendment was mainly passed to exclude the judiciary from election controversies entirely, to strengthen the central government vis-à - vis the governments of the state, to provide socially transformative legislation with full immunity from a judicial challenge and minimize judicial interventions in legislative matters. The amendments could not be challenged on any basis in any court; and there should be no restriction on the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution 'by way of extension, variation, or repeal.'

While addressing the youngsters National President BJYM, Shri Tejasvi Surya Ji emphasized the need to pass on this knowledge of past black events and educate the youth of today. He expressed grief and sorrow on the grievous phase of suffering and injustice that our proud nation had to go through during the Congress governance period. With a hope to bring back the glory of our Nation and a pledge to put in our best efforts to do so, the address came to an end.

 In Yesterday’s address, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad Ji, Member of Parliament educated the youth about the mass suffering on this day in 1975. He brought forward a realistic picture of how people were put in prison for raising their voices against the congress-led government and how congress unconstitutionally imposed an emergency just to save their falling government. Such an act of tyranny is still remembered by the common man of India. Shri Prasad said, “The National Internal Emergency was not imposed to protect the interests of our country, but solely because of the excessive greed of power by the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. The media was strictly ordered not to release anything against Indira Gandhi and mass arrests were done of all political leaders other than those of Congress.”

Amandeep Singh