PM Narendra Modi in Mumbai on Tuesday . Nirmal Harindran
Targeting the Gandhi family, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Constitution was misused for “one family” when the then Congress government imposed Emergency. Speaking at an event in Mumbai organised by the BJP to mark the 43rd anniversary of Emergency, Modi said the the entire country was turned into a jail for the “selfish interest” of one family. “There is no example anywhere to match how the Congress violated and undermined the Constitution and democracy. They used it (Emergency) as a political weapon.”
He claimed that whenever the Congress and “this family” senses a loss of power, it starts “crying” that the country is passing through crisis and that only it can save the country. “The Congress party with 400 seats, which once ruled from panchayat to the Parliament, cannot reconcile to being out of power… Everything veers around one special family whose comfort and pride rein supreme.”
“For once, they have been subjected to charges of corruption and dragged to court. And it is this wounded pride that they cannot digest. After all, how dare anybody question them?” the Prime Minister said, referring to charges being framed against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
“The impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India (Dipak Misra) in Parliament or growing criticism against the chief election commissioner are living examples of the Congress’ Emergency mindset,” he added.
“There cannot be a larger rhetoric when Congress, along with its bagal bacchas (allies), are talking ‘Save Constitution, Save Democracy’… Instead of taking lessons from their sins in the past, Congress and its leaders are throwing around the same attitude…” Modi said.
Maintaining that during Emergency, the entire country was held hostage, Modi said: “Imagine, veteran singer Kishore Kumar’s songs were banned on radio, just because he refused Congress’ invitation to perform. Post Emergency, Congress censored the film Aandhi, fearing it would expose its misdeeds.”
“Opposition leaders were packed into prisons…The media and prominent persons from diverse fields were subjected to atrocities,” he added.
Modi hailed late Ramnath Goenka of The Indian Express, Kuldeep Nayar and The Statesman. “The Indian Express Group’s Ramnath Goenka fought fearlessly against the Emergency, which had thwarted freedom of the media. Majority of media houses had surrendered before the Congress… almost prostrating. But there were exceptions. The Indian Express Group’s Ramnath Goenka, editor Kuldeep Nayyar and C R Irani (Statesman) stood their ground to fight for their fundamental rights, values and freedom. It is not our intention to criticise those who surrendered. But it shows how terrible was Emergency that forced the media to such a state.”