BJP Sangareddy district president Godavari Anjireddy and other party leaders participating in a rally on National Highway, to mark the 50th anniversary of imposition of Emergency, in Sangareddy on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: MOHD ARIF
The 50th anniversary of the imposition of ‘Emergency’ across the country by the Indira Gandhi government came in handy for the BJP in Telangana to turn the tables against the Congress Party by observing ‘Black Day’ across the State by recalling the draconian measures and felicitating those who had suffered during the period including being jailed illegally.
Rajya Sabha MP and national OBC morcha K. Laxman told a party meeting here on Tuesday that the present generation need to be told about the atrocities during the Emergency on how the constitutional rights of the citizens was denied, media was sought to be controlled and efforts were made to postpone the general elections after the then Prime Minister’s election was declared invalid by the court.
“The Congress Party tried everything to subvert the Constitution and democratic institutions to remain in power forcing the President to sign the Emergency from midnight. Therefore, when present Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi talk of protection of constitutional rights it is like the Devil quoting the scriptures,” he said.
Mr. Laxman recalled that the Congress leaders tried their best to spread disinformation among the people about the Constitution being changed, elections will not be held and reservations will be removed if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power conveniently forgetting that it was their party which had introduced electoral malpractices.
Former MLC N. Ramchander Rao led the protest at the High Court with fellow advocates with placards criticising Emergency. “This day 50 years ago, the Congress government had murdered democracy and had tried to change the basic structure of the Constitution. It is the BJP which has been in the forefront in upholding the Constitution whereas the Congress Party had always violated the norms,” he charged.
In a separate press conference former MLA and party vice president NVSS Prabhakar criticised the frequent reshuffle of senior officials and felt it only indicated that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is yet to take a firm grip on the administration even after six months of coming to power.
“It is for the fourth time officials are being transferred and 11 times the CM has visited Delhi leaving everyone confused. Mr. Reddy seems to be trying to save his chair while the bureaucrats are caught in a dilemma,” he claimed. The BJP leader also saw the hand of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in BRS MLAs flocking to join the ruling party and it is to “save himself” from the “corruption charges and scams of his government”.
