\'Family\'s greed for power led to Emergency; country turned into prison\,\' says Amit Shah

'Family's greed for power led to Emergency; country turned into prison,' says Amit Shah

45 years of Emergency: Home Minister Amit Shah says that the Emergency was lifted due to the efforts of thousands of people and democracy was restored

Emergency anniversary: Amit Shah criticised the Congress party

On the day marking 45 years of Emergency, Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter to lash out at the Congress party. Referring to the Gandhis, Shah said that one family's greed for power led to the imposition of Emergency 45 years ago that turned the country into a prison overnight. He said that the Emergency was lifted due to the efforts of people. He criticised the party and said that even though democracy was restored in India, it still remains absent within the Congress party. "Why does the Emergency mindset remain? Why are leaders who don't belong to 1 dynasty unable to speak up?" he asked the Congress.

"On this day, 45 years ago one family's greed for power led to the imposition of the Emergency. Overnight the nation was turned into a prison," said Amit Shah. He added that free speech, press and courts were all trampled over and that the poor and downtrodden had to face a lot of atrocities.

Shah added that the Emergency was lifted due to the efforts of thousands of people. "The interests of one family prevailed over party interests and national interests," he added.

Referring to the removal of spokesperson Sanjay Jha after he wrote an article critiquing the Congress, the Home Minister said, "During the recent CWC meet, senior members and younger members raised a few issues. But, they were shouted down. A party spokesperson was unceremoniously sacked."

He continued his criticism of the Congress party and posed a few questions to them. He said Congress needs to ask itself why the Emergency mindset exists within the party. Shah said unless they answer these questions themselves, their disconnect with the people will keep on widening.

The Emergency period was imposed for 21 months from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The order issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed allowed the Prime Minister to rule by decree and to suspend elections in the meantime. Civil liberties and the press were also restricted. The move to impose the Emergency was taken as the government believed there were internal and external threats to country.