New Delhi: After becoming the Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time in a row, Om Birla in his first speech lashed out at the opposition in Parliament regarding the Emergency imposed by the then PM Indira Gandhi in 1975.
Not only this, he also observed two minutes of silence in the House while cornering the Congress. During this, there was a huge uproar in the House. Also, the leaders of the opposition parties also raised slogans.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to Speaker Om Birla’s statement on the Emergency on the social media platform X. PM Modi wrote on X, “I am happy that the Lok Sabha Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, exposed the excesses committed during that time and also told how democracy was strangled. Keeping silence in respect of all the people who suffered during the Emergency was also a wonderful gesture.”
Taking aim at the Congress, he further wrote, “The Emergency was imposed 50 years ago. But, it is important for today’s youth to know about it, because it is an apt example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled, public opinion is suppressed and institutions are destroyed. The events during the Emergency gave an example of a dictatorship.”
On the other hand, on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, NDA leaders protested and raised slogans at the Makar Dwar of Parliament. Earlier, on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, the Lok Sabha passed a censure motion in the House amid uproar by opposition parties.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, while presenting a censure motion against the imposition of Emergency in the House, said that this House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in the country in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the resolve of all those people who strongly opposed the Emergency, fought an unprecedented struggle and took the responsibility of protecting India’s democracy. That day of 25 June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India. On this day, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed emergency in the country and made a fierce attack on the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Also Read – Student made a victim of lust, intoxicant mixed in cold drink
He said, “India is known all over the world as the ‘mother of democracy’. Democratic values and dialogue have always been promoted in India, democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Dictatorship was imposed on such an India by Indira Gandhi, India’s democratic values were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled. During the Emergency, the rights of the citizens of India were destroyed, the citizens were deprived of their freedom. This was the period when opposition leaders were put in jails, the whole country was turned into a prison. The then dictatorial government had imposed many restrictions on the media and also curbed the autonomy of the judiciary.”
Apart from this, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla mentioned many restrictions and excesses imposed during the Emergency. After Om Birla presented this proposal, the Lok Sabha passed the censure motion by observing two minutes of silence.
