People must not forget 'black days of Emergency': Tripura CM Manik Saha

Agartala, June 30 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday slammed the then Congress government for declaring Emergency in the country in 1975 and said that it was a direct attack on the Indian Constitution and democracy.

Saha, also a former state President of BJP, while addressing the Mock Parliament organised by BJP Mahila Morcha at Muktadhara Auditorium here, said the emergency from 1975 to 1977 was a black chapter of Indian history and the participants in the event would be able to learn about the history and hold discussions on the matter.

“We forgot so many things. Especially the days of sorrow, we forgot. A person can’t live keeping sorrowful days in memories,” he stated. He said that everyone knows that in 1975, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency.

“She contested the election from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in 1971, and when results were declared, she won. But her nearest opponent candidate, Raj Narain, couldn’t accept it and challenged it in the Allahabad High Court. Everyone knows about this matter. Raj Narain said that with the help of the Government, Indira Gandhi won the election and appointed a gazetted officer as her election agent. Based on these two matters, Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha on June 12, 1972, declared the election as null and void,” said Saha.

He informed that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi knocked on the door of the Supreme Court, and there Justice Krishna Iyer said that she could remain Prime Minister but couldn’t vote or hold any government post. “Later, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, who was a renowned barrister, summoned Indira Gandhi and discussed the matter with him. Then pressure was mounted on then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and the Emergency was declared in 1975, which was a black day,” Saha pointed out.

He said that this is why the Mock Parliament was arranged to make the young generations aware of this black day and to discuss it. Later, they will convey it to the people as well. Saying that the imposition of the Emergency was a direct attack on the Indian Constitution, the Chief Minister claimed that everyone witnessed how democracy was killed during the Congress regime. In Tripura, the then Chief Minister Sukhamoy Sengupta-led government used the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in a wrongful way and arrested many people, including journalists.

“We saw what kind of situation was created. Many houses were vandalised. Those who protested against the Emergency were arrested, and even the press was attacked. Now we are seeing what development truly means. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working to protect the Constitution,” he added.

Saha said that to protect the Constitution, Article 370 was abrogated by the Modi government.

During the event, BJP state President Rajib Bhattacharjee, Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, BJP general secretary Bhagaban Das, and BJP Mahila Morcha state president Mimi Majumder were present.

--IANS

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