Contending that the Congress’ move to impeach the Chief Justice of India and undermine the Election Commission through its criticism of EVMs reflected its “Emergency” mindset, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday charged the Rahul Gandhi-led party is creating “fear of the unknown” in the minds of the people about the “danger” faced by Dalits and Constitution under the BJP-led NDA regime.
Addressing a party workers’ meeting here to mark the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency, Modi launched a vitriolic attack against the Congress by saying, “In a party where there is no democracy, you can expect commitment towards democracy. Fear of unknown has been the Congress’ style over the years…
“There was a time when they would create fear of the unknown about RSS and Jan Sangh by saying: These are from RSS and Jan Sangh. They would beat up and slay Muslims and spread canards about them… Now they have started once again: Dalits are in danger. Dalits would be beaten up. They are once again creating fear of the unknown among the people.”
Hitting back at the Congress for its criticism of him, the Prime Minister said, “Here is a party that scuttled the Constitution fully in the past. Here is a party that jailed democracy (during the Emergency). The same party is now creating fear in the society saying: Modi will finish the Constitution. But the difference between us and the Congress is that you were in power for so many years, it did not occur to the Congress to celebrate the Constitution day, whereas we held a three-day debate on Constitution as part of the 125th birth anniversary of late BR Ambedkar.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday said the 1975-77 Emergency was a “dark period” that the nation could never forget and called for making democracy stronger by “writing, debating, deliberating, and questioning” its vital aspects and pledged his full commitment to protecting the Indian Constitution and Democracy.
Accusing the Congress of trying to threaten judiciary in the country, Modi said: “The Congress never thought a day would come when charges of corruption would be framed against members of one family and they would have to seek bail from the courts. Unable to stomach the harsh reality, they tried to move an impeachment motion in Parliament against the top-most judge in the Supreme Court so that the judges in the lower courts would not give a ruling against them... It only confirms that there is no change in the mindset of the Congress that prevailed during the Emergency and the mindset of the current Congress behind its move to impeach the Supreme Court’s top judge”.
Pillorying the Congress for trying to denigrate the Election Commission by raising the bogey of “faulty” EVMs, Modi said: “Our Election Commission is respected world over for holding impartial elections. Over the years many political parties who were in power have contributed in their own way to strengthening EC. But the Congress which had won 400 seats at one stage, the party which used to rule from Panchayat to Parliament and whose strength in the lok Sabha got reduced to 44, decides to settle scores with EC. It raises the bogey of faulty EVMs against EC. But the same party did not remember the faulty EVMs after the recent Karnataka Assembly polls. Does the Congress’ attitude towards institutions like EC not reflect its mindset during the Emergency.”
Recalling as to how journalists were treated during Emergency, Modi complimented the manner in which Ramnath Goenka of the Indian Express, Kuldeep Nayar and The Statesman newspaper “stood up” against the Emergency.
Slamming then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for the manner she went about imposing Emergency in the country, Modi said: “Emergency is a black spot on the golden history of the nation. Observing black day today is not just to criticise the Congress for its sin of imposing Emergency but also to create an awareness for protection of the Constitution and democracy”.
The Prime Minister said observing the anniversary of the Emergency was aimed at creating vigilance among the people - especially the younger generation that may have heard about but had not experienced the difficulties faced by the people during the Emergency -- against recurrence of another Emergency in the country.
“In this country whenever, the Congress party - especially Gandhi-Nehru family -- felt that they were on the verge of losing power they would cry hoarse that the country is passing through crisis, that there was an atmosphere of fear in the country, that the country was on verge of ruins and that only the Congress could save the country,” Modi said.
“For the sake of one family, the Congress turned the country into a jail by imprisoning Opposition leaders. There was fear in the minds of the Opposition leaders that they would be imprisoned any time under MISA. See the tact of the Congress, it imposed Emergency well within the ambit of the Constitution. There cannot be any such example wherein the Constitution could be misused or used as a weapon for the sake of one family,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that at one stage of the Emergency, the Congress had instilled fear in the judiciary and devalued judiciary all for the sake of one family, while those were crusading for saving democracy had been put all kinds of problems. “For the promotion of one family, they destroyed their own party,” he said.
Modi recalled as to how singer Kishore Kumar was victimised and his songs were not allowed to be played on radio after he refused to sing for the Congress.
Modi also recalled as to how Opposition and common people brought about revolution in the country by coming together to overthrow the Indira Gandhi Government in the elections held after the Emergency.
The Prime Minister said that his Government was committed to protecting the Constitution and upholding democratic values. “For us the Constitution means to ensure right and bring all citizens on an equal footing. That is to ensure rights to Dalits and poor and needy people...,” he said.