Congress should apologise to people for imposing Emergency in 1975, says Ashok

Congress leaders must apologize for imposing Emergency in 1975, condemned by BJP leaders in Belagavi meeting.

Congress leaders should tender an unconditional apology to the people for imposing Emergency in 1975, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok said in Belagavi on Tuesday.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge has made a statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led an “undeclared emergency” for the 10 years. It amounts to saying that the people of the country should forget the Emergency that was imposed by then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi, Mr. Ashok said.

“This is not acceptable. Emergency is a dark chapter in the country’s history where the common people lost their fundamental rights, newspapers were censored and journalists and political activists were crushed with an iron hand. The violence committed on the victims and their family members cannot be forgotten,” he said.

He was speaking at a meeting organised by the BJP to condemn the infamous 1975 Emergency that the country had to undergo.

Various leaders and citizens spoke on the subject, Citizens for Social Justice and violation of the Constitution during Emergency, hosted at Mahaveer Bhavan in Hinduwadi in the city.

“The Congress can forget the declaration of Emergency and the injustice done to the people. However, we cannot forget the dark day when Indira Gandhi assassinated the Constitution. Mr. Kharge and the other Congress leaders should apologize to the people of the country for the dark episode in its history,” he said.

“Mr. Kharge has spent his entire life being loyal to the Nehru-Gandhi family. That is why, probably, even Emergency seems democratic to him,” Mr. Ashok said.