BJP Slams Congress Over Emergency Remarks: A Political Uproar

The BJP criticized the Congress for objecting to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's condemnation of the Emergency, accusing the opposition of hiding its true intentions. BJP leaders argued the Congress is uncomfortable with the topic, calling it the 'murder of democracy' and noting the party never apologized for it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Thursday following the latter's objection to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's condemnation of the Emergency. The BJP claimed that the Congress's resistance to discussing the Emergency unveils its questionable intentions, further criticizing its invocation of the Constitution as a mere ruse.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, a senior BJP leader and former Union minister, stated that the Congress becomes visibly uncomfortable whenever the Emergency is mentioned. He labeled the period as ''the sin of the murder of democracy'' and emphasized the necessity of revisiting this 'black chapter' in Indian democratic history. Prasad highlighted that the Congress never issued an apology for imposing the Emergency in 1975 under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Prasad's comments came on the heels of Rahul Gandhi's meeting with Speaker Birla, where the Leader of Opposition expressed his displeasure over Birla's critical remarks on the Emergency, labeling them as ''clearly political.'' Additionally, Congress leader K C Venugopal voiced the party's concerns in a written communication to Birla. Defending Birla's stance, Prasad pointed out the need for nationwide awareness about the circumstances under which the Emergency was imposed. During a joint parliamentary session, President Droupadi Murmu also condemned the Emergency. Prasad reiterated that the Congress's discomfort over the issue is a testament to its enduring guilt, citing the persecution of opposition leaders and media censorship during the period.