‘Reference to Emergency clearly political,’ Rahul tells Speaker Om Birla in first meeting as leader of opposition | India NewsWORLD NEWS
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday trained its guns on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and said his “political reference” regarding declaration of Emergency after his acceptance speech yesterday was deeply shocking, travesty of parliamentary traditions and unprecedented in the annals of history of Parliament.
“This coming from the Chair as one of the ‘first duties’ from a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions,” Congress MP K C Venugopal wrote in a letter to Om Birla registering the grand old party’s “deep concern and anguish” over the issue.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also voiced his displeasure to Om Birla during his first courtesy meeting with the Speaker after assuming the role of leader of opposition in Lok Sabha. Rahul, who was accompanied by other leaders of INDIA bloc, told the Speaker that reference to Emergency was “clearly political” and could have been avoided.
On Wednesday, Om Birla, after being elected Speaker by voice vote, set off a firestorm by reading out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency as an attack on the Constitution by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Birla recalled that it was on June 26, 1975 that the country woke up to the cruel realities of Emergency, when the Congress government jailed opposition leaders, imposed many restrictions on the media and also curbed the autonomy of the Judiciary.
“India has always promoted democratic values and the spirit of discussion and debate. Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Such an India was subjected to dictatorship by Indira Gandhi, India’s democratic values were crushed and freedom of expression was stifled,” Birla said in the resolution.
“This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. We appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting India’s democracy,” he said.
The House adopted the resolution which said that June 25, 1975, will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India.
While Speaker’s reference to Emergency evoked strong protests from the opposition benches, Prime Minister Modi welcomed the Speaker’s remarks and said it was important for the youths to know about it as the period was a “fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed”. “The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like,” PM Modi said.
In fact, it was Prime Minister Modi who set the stage for Emergency attack against the Congress. Addressing the media in Parliament complex ahead of the start of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24, Modi termed the Emergency a black spot in India’s parliamentary history when the Constitution was discarded and the country turned into a prison.
On June 25, 1975, at midnight, the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a state of Emergency in India following advice from the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
On Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu, in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, described the imposition of Emergency in 1975 as the “biggest and darkest chapter” of direct attack on the Constitution. President said when the Constitution was being drafted, there were forces in the world who wished India to fail. Even after the Constitution came into force, there were several attacks on the Constitution, she noted.
“Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975 was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India,” the President said.
(With inputs from agencies)
“This coming from the Chair as one of the ‘first duties’ from a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions,” Congress MP K C Venugopal wrote in a letter to Om Birla registering the grand old party’s “deep concern and anguish” over the issue.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also voiced his displeasure to Om Birla during his first courtesy meeting with the Speaker after assuming the role of leader of opposition in Lok Sabha. Rahul, who was accompanied by other leaders of INDIA bloc, told the Speaker that reference to Emergency was “clearly political” and could have been avoided.
On Wednesday, Om Birla, after being elected Speaker by voice vote, set off a firestorm by reading out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency as an attack on the Constitution by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Birla recalled that it was on June 26, 1975 that the country woke up to the cruel realities of Emergency, when the Congress government jailed opposition leaders, imposed many restrictions on the media and also curbed the autonomy of the Judiciary.
“India has always promoted democratic values and the spirit of discussion and debate. Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Such an India was subjected to dictatorship by Indira Gandhi, India’s democratic values were crushed and freedom of expression was stifled,” Birla said in the resolution.
“This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. We appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting India’s democracy,” he said.
The House adopted the resolution which said that June 25, 1975, will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India.
While Speaker’s reference to Emergency evoked strong protests from the opposition benches, Prime Minister Modi welcomed the Speaker’s remarks and said it was important for the youths to know about it as the period was a “fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed”. “The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like,” PM Modi said.
In fact, it was Prime Minister Modi who set the stage for Emergency attack against the Congress. Addressing the media in Parliament complex ahead of the start of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24, Modi termed the Emergency a black spot in India’s parliamentary history when the Constitution was discarded and the country turned into a prison.
On June 25, 1975, at midnight, the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a state of Emergency in India following advice from the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
On Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu, in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, described the imposition of Emergency in 1975 as the “biggest and darkest chapter” of direct attack on the Constitution. President said when the Constitution was being drafted, there were forces in the world who wished India to fail. Even after the Constitution came into force, there were several attacks on the Constitution, she noted.
“Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975 was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India,” the President said.
(With inputs from agencies)