Recalling Emergency days, senior journalist Kuldip Nayar equated Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indira Gandhi. He said that Indira Gandhi became holder of one person rule. “Now something similar is happening with Modi,” he said.
He was addressing a joint programme organized on Thursday by People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), Citizens for Democracy (CFD) and Jan Hastakshep to observe anti-Emergency day.
He recalled how power had concentrated in the hands of Indira Gandhi and people were scared to express their views. He said that media was gagged. “One lakh people across the country were detained and kept in prison in subhuman conditions,” he said.
He recalled how Sanjay Gandhi had emerged as an extra-constitutional power.He said that the similar situation is in sight. He said that the power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister and the Prime Minister’s Office has become all powerful.
He, however, said that the Emergency could not be imposed again because people would not tolerate it. He cautioned the people of the danger of communalism and called upon the people to fight against it.
Inaugurating the event, Justice Rajinder Sachar recalled how the government interfered in the affairs of judiciary and its independence was violated. He said that we have to guard against such violations.
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