Salient points of press byte of BJP Senior leader & MP Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad

 

Senior BJP Leader and Lok Sabha MP Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad’s media byte

It has been 50 years since the imposition of the Emergency in the country. Yesterday, the Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker discussed the dark chapter in India's democracy, and today, the President mentioned it in her address. The most astonishing thing is that even after 50 years, the Congress Party is still bearing the burden of this sin.

 

The moment this issue is discussed, the Congress becomes agitated and restless. What is the problem with the Congress Party? Why shouldn't we discuss the Congress's murder of democracy in 1975 after 50 years? Today, it is essential to tell the country why the Emergency was imposed.

 

The Allahabad High Court heard Raj Narain's complaint and invalidated Indira Gandhi's election from Rae Bareli. She then went to the Supreme Court, where she did not receive a complete stay on this invalidation, leading to the imposition of the Emergency. During the Emergency, leaders such as Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shri Lal Krishna Advani, Shri Nanaji Deshmukh, Shri Madhu Dandavate, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shri Nitish Kumar, and Shri Ram Vilas Paswan were all arrested. We all were soldiers of the JP Movement and were very enthusiastic students. We opposed it. We were already imprisoned under MISA during the JP movement.

 

Senior editors like Kuldeep Nayar were also arrested. Press censorship was imposed, and the publication of Indian Express was shut down. No one could write or say anything against the government during that time. Thousands were forcibly sterilized, and Turkman Gate in Delhi was destroyed.

 

Justice of the Supreme Court and High courts were superseded due to their unwillingness to make decisions favorable to the government. Justice H.R. Khanna, who stated in the ADM case that even during Emergency, fundamental rights cannot be suspended, was not allowed to become the Chief Justice of India even for a month. RSS Volunteers in jail had their nails removed and were tortured, leading to many deaths. When Kishor Kumar refused to sing at a Youth Congress program, his songs were banned on All India Radio.

 

This was the dark chapter of the Emergency. Congress has never apologized for it, and yesterday, when a 2-minute silence was observed in memory of those who died, these people were still disturbed. Today, I would like to tell the DMK that during the Emergency, Indira Gandhi dismissed the government led by Shree Karnaral. Akhilesh Yadav, Stalin, Kanimozhi, and Tejashwi should also remember that their fathers were also in jail. What are we talking about? If it's been 50 years since the dark chapter of democracy, is it a sin to express pain over it? This is Congress's true history. No faith in democracy, nor in democratic traditions. Even a slight discussion leads them to protest. Rahul Gandhi is tweeting and meeting the Speaker. The Speaker did the right thing; he didn't take any party's name but referred to that dark chapter in democracy.

 

The President rightly said that Congress feels so hurt by discussions about them, which clearly shows that the intentions of the Congress party are not noble, and talking about the Constitution is just a facade. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, BJP and Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee have clearly stated that there will never be an Emergency in the country again, and no citizen's rights will be violated. It is also essential to inform the country that during the general elections of 1977, the Indian electorate was so awakened that Indira Gandhi lost from Rae Bareli and Sanjay Gandhi from Amethi. The Congress party received only one seat in entire northern India, which was from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.

 

This is the history of our country, and we take pride in our democracy. Let's not manipulate the copies of the Constitution. We are proud that the strength within this country defeated the dark chapter of Emergency, and on its completion of 50 years, we proudly acknowledge this and commemorate it so that such a thing never happens again.

 

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