PM Narendra Modi launches scathing attack on Congress, Gandhi family for 1975 Emergency

Without mincing words, PM Narendra Modi said that the Emergency years were the darkest in the history of Indian democracy.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday tore into the Congress for the Emergency imposed on the country in 1975. Slamming the party for having compromised democracy, he said that the youth in the country should be aware of what happened.

Attacking the Gandhi family without mincing his words, PM Modi said the Emergency was imposed for the benefit of a select few. "The greed of staying in power was such that democracy was sacrificed. Political leaders who were widely respected were put behind bars. It was all done so that one family - the Gandhi family - could benefit," he said. "The judiciary was compromised, an impeachment motion was brought in as well. Anyone who tried to oppose only had jail to go to."

His comments came at an event titled 'Dark Days of Emergency' to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency at the Birla Matushri Auditorium in Mumbai.

Cautioning his fellow countrymen against any move by opposition parties to bring back the days of Emergency, PM Modi said that BJP's idea is not to solely attack Congress. "We want the youth in the country to know all that had happened during the Emergency years. We are not observing a black day (on the anniversary of the imposition of Emergency) to criticize the Congress, but to make people aware," said PM Modi. 

"Whenever the family has feared losing its position, it keeps shouting that the Country is in crisis and there is an atmosphere of fear... The party which has no internal democracy cannot be expected to adhere to the ideals of democracy," he added.

PM Modi also warned that those who defy democracy cannot be caretakers of the Constitution. "There was opposition then like there is opposition now. I salute those who raised their voices against what they felt was wrong at the time. And then there were those who were asked to bend but chose to surrender."

He also used the platform to rubbish the charge of opposition parties that the country is facing an 'undeclared Emergency' under the Modi government. "Those who spread fear in the past are now trying to say RSS will kill Dalits. They now say Constritition of the country is being compromised.  History knows who has done what. Nothing is more important for us than the Indian Constitution and we are devoted towards it," he said.