TOI News Desk
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram remarked that the imposition of the Emergency in 1975 was a mistake, a sentiment acknowledged by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This statement came after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government announced it would observe June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas‘ to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, leading to political debates and reactions.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, P Chidambaram stated, “Why is the BJP not going back to the 18th or 17th century? 75 percent of the Indians living today were born after 1975. Emergency was a mistake and it was accepted by Indira Gandhi. We have amended the Constitution so that an emergency cannot be imposed so easily.”
He further questioned the relevance of debating the events of 50 years ago, emphasising the lessons learned from past mistakes. “What is the point of debating the rights and wrongs of the emergency 50 years later? The BJP must forget the past. We have learned the lessons from the past,” he said.
The central government, led by the NDA, announced earlier this month that it would observe ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to commemorate the anniversary of the Emergency, sparking backlash from opposition parties. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his criticism on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “In the last 10 years, your government has celebrated ‘Constitution Murder Day’ every day. You have snatched away the self-respect of every poor and deprived section of the country every moment.”
Responding to the Centre’s announcement, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of attempting to divert attention from its policies. “She has been criticised. Indira Gandhi lost once and she came back to power as the Prime Minister. So that chapter was just one page of history and years later, the BJP is trying to divert attention from its anti-people policy, disasters, and the bad condition of the country, they are trying to play this old card,” Ghosh said at a press conference.
The Emergency of 1975 remains a significant period in India’s history, characterised by political upheaval and the erosion of civil liberties. Declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Emergency involved the suspension of fundamental rights and strict censorship aimed at silencing political dissent and maintaining order.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, P Chidambaram stated, “Why is the BJP not going back to the 18th or 17th century? 75 percent of the Indians living today were born after 1975. Emergency was a mistake and it was accepted by Indira Gandhi. We have amended the Constitution so that an emergency cannot be imposed so easily.”
He further questioned the relevance of debating the events of 50 years ago, emphasising the lessons learned from past mistakes. “What is the point of debating the rights and wrongs of the emergency 50 years later? The BJP must forget the past. We have learned the lessons from the past,” he said.
The central government, led by the NDA, announced earlier this month that it would observe ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to commemorate the anniversary of the Emergency, sparking backlash from opposition parties. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his criticism on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “In the last 10 years, your government has celebrated ‘Constitution Murder Day’ every day. You have snatched away the self-respect of every poor and deprived section of the country every moment.”
Responding to the Centre’s announcement, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of attempting to divert attention from its policies. “She has been criticised. Indira Gandhi lost once and she came back to power as the Prime Minister. So that chapter was just one page of history and years later, the BJP is trying to divert attention from its anti-people policy, disasters, and the bad condition of the country, they are trying to play this old card,” Ghosh said at a press conference.
The Emergency of 1975 remains a significant period in India’s history, characterised by political upheaval and the erosion of civil liberties. Declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Emergency involved the suspension of fundamental rights and strict censorship aimed at silencing political dissent and maintaining order.