New Delhi [India], June 25 : Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday termed imposition of Emergency as the "biggest blot" in the history of Independent India.
Lashing out at the Congress party on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Union Minister Chouhan stated that the countrymen should take a "pledge" that such a day would not come again in India.
"Can those days be forgotten? The country will never forget that the day is the biggest blot in the democratic history of independent India - Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. The country should take a pledge that this day should not come again", Chouhan told ANI.
The Union Minister highlighted that the Constitution was "killed" and democracy was "crushed" on June 25, 1975. Chouhan noted that the Congress should recall that "dictatorship" is in their "DNA". He stated that Indira Gandhi made attempts to crush democracy across the country just for the sake to save her position.
"Constitution was killed on this day. Democracy was crushed, and today they roam around with a copy of the Constitution. They should recall that this is the same Congress that has dictatorship in its DNA. To save her post and to continue to be in power, Indira Gandhi made attempts to crush democracy across the country", Chouhan said.
Recalling the Emergency period, the Union Agriculture minister said that the whole nation was turned into a "jail" and the fundamental rights of the citizens were "snatched". The former Madhya Pradesh CM mentioned that the government also misbehaved with the press and a pillar of democracy was attempted to be crushed.
"To save her post and to continue to be in power, Indira Gandhi made attempts to crush democracy across the country. It has been 50 years but I still remember that dark day. I was 16 then. Inhumane atrocities were unleashed, the entire nation was turned into a jail. Fundamental rights were snatched. Anyone was jailed. Freedom of Expression was crushed...Not just leaders were jailed but even the Press was misbehaved with, a pillar of democracy was attempted to be crushed at that time so that she continues to be in power", Chouhan said.
The Union Minister stated that the people were laid on slabs of ice and with their hands and feet broken. Remembering the Emergency period, Chouhan said that he was president at his school and thought that there would be agitation due to inflation, unemployment and a wrong education system, so he joined the Jayaprakash Narayan movement. However, the Union Minister was jailed under the Defence of India Act and rules and was taken to jail.
"Ordinary workers were jailed too...People were electrocuted, made to lie down on slabs of ice, their hands and feet were broken. I was the president of my school. I felt that there should be an agitation against inflation, unemployment and wrong education system. So, I joined JP Movement. But I was jailed under Defence of India Act and Rules", Chouhan said.
The BJP MP from Vidisha believed that the people who raised their voice against the "murder of democracy" carried out a movement for its reinstatement; meanwhile, the ones who were sent to jail led the third movement for freedom.
Chouhan recalled that he was not allowed to attend the last rites of her grandmother who had died during the Emergency period. He further stated that those who raised their voice to protect democracy should be called "loktantra senani".
"Those who raised their voice against the murder of democracy, those who carried out a movement for the reinstatement of democracy, those who went to jail to protect the Constitution - I believe this was the third movement for freedom...My grandmother fell ill when I was jailed, she died later. There were several leaders who were not allowed to attend 'antim darshan' when the members of their family died. So, those who raised their voice to protect democracy should definitely be called 'loktantra senani'. So, I did this in Madhya Pradesh when I was CM," the Union Minister said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is observing the 50th anniversary of the Emergency as the 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'. India was placed under a state of Emergency from June 25, 1975, to March 21 1977, following the implementation of Article 352 of the constitution.