'Emergency gave birth to new political generation'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Emergency was the “biggest blow” to democracy but also led to the birth of a new political generation in the country.

“We need not cry while remembering Emergency. Let us talk about how the anti-Emergency movement strengthened democracy,” Modi said while paying glowing tributes to Jayaprakash Narayan on his 113th birth anniversary.

The political generation born during the Emergency was fully dedicated to democratic values, the prime minister said. He recalled that though the Emergency had trampled on civic rights, the leaders that were born out of the struggle against it emerged as the protectors of democratic rights.

“The biggest message that came out of the anti-Emergency struggle was the inspiration to fight repression,” the prime minister said.