India
‘Emergency was a mistake, accepted by Indira Gandhi,’ says P Chidambaram | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Senior Citizens Congress leader and member of parliament of the Rajya Sabha P-Chidambaram noted that the imposition of the Emergency in 1975 was a mistake, a sentiment acknowledged by the Prime Minister at the time Indira GandhiThis statement came after the National Democratic Alliance (Confidentiality Statement) the government announced that it will take June 25 as ‘Hatya Diwas Gathering‘ on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the State of Emergency, which led to political debates and reactions.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, P Chidambaram said, “Why doesn’t the BJP go back to the 18th or 17th century? 75 per cent of Indians alive today were born after 1975. Emergency was a mistake and was accepted by Indira Gandhi. We amended the Constitution so that Emergency cannot be imposed so easily.”
He further questioned the relevance of debating the events of 50 years ago, and stressed on the lessons learnt from past mistakes. “What is the use of debating the good and bad aspects of the Emergency 50 years later? The BJP should forget the past. We have learnt the lessons of the past,” he said.
The NDA-led central government earlier this month announced that it would observe ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to commemorate the Emergency anniversary, triggering a backlash from opposition parties. Criticising ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said: “For the last 10 years, your government has celebrated ‘Constitution Murder Day’ every day. You have snatched away the self-respect of every poor and backward section of the country at every moment.”
Reacting to the Centre’s announcement, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from its policies. “She has been criticised. Indira Gandhi lost once and 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 policies, calamities and the poor state 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, marked by political upheaval and the erosion of civil liberties. The Emergency, declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, involved the suspension of fundamental rights and strict censorship, aimed at silencing political dissent and maintaining law and order.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, P Chidambaram said, “Why doesn’t the BJP go back to the 18th or 17th century? 75 per cent of Indians alive today were born after 1975. Emergency was a mistake and was accepted by Indira Gandhi. We amended the Constitution so that Emergency cannot be imposed so easily.”
He further questioned the relevance of debating the events of 50 years ago, and stressed on the lessons learnt from past mistakes. “What is the use of debating the good and bad aspects of the Emergency 50 years later? The BJP should forget the past. We have learnt the lessons of the past,” he said.
The NDA-led central government earlier this month announced that it would observe ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to commemorate the Emergency anniversary, triggering a backlash from opposition parties. Criticising ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said: “For the last 10 years, your government has celebrated ‘Constitution Murder Day’ every day. You have snatched away the self-respect of every poor and backward section of the country at every moment.”
Reacting to the Centre’s announcement, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from its policies. “She has been criticised. Indira Gandhi lost once and 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 policies, calamities and the poor state 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, marked by political upheaval and the erosion of civil liberties. The Emergency, declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, involved the suspension of fundamental rights and strict censorship, aimed at silencing political dissent and maintaining law and order.
