Emergency turned nation into prison: Delhi CM at BJP Mahila Morcha mock parliament

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the Emergency had turned the entire country into a prison, where civil liberties were suspended and opposition leaders jailed without trial.

Her remarks came during a mock parliament event organised by the BJP's Mahila Morcha to mark 50 years of the Emergency.

Taking a swipe at the Congress on the occasion, the chief minister said, "Those who carry the Constitution in their pockets should recall that it was under their government that it was murdered. Under Indira Gandhi's rule, all rights were taken away just to protect one seat of power."

She also cited the Shah Bano case as an example of how constitutional principles were compromised for political gain.

The contentious issue of Muslim women getting maintenance under the secular provision of section 125 of CrPC had taken centre stage of political discourse in 1985 when a Constitution bench in Mohd Ahmed Khan versus Shah Bano Begum case in a unanimous decision had ruled that Muslim women were also entitled to maintenance.

"There was a time when the whole country was made a big prison. Anyone could be arrested at any time. All opposition leaders were behind bars," Gupta said referring to the Emergency days (1975-77).

"Some ask why we recall the Emergency every June 25. It's like 'Ramleela', which is performed every year to remind us not to become Ravana. We remember the Emergency to ensure no leader or government ever dares to repeat it," she added.

The chief minister urged women political workers to educate themselves on both past and current political events. "We, as women, must understand the context of what is happening politically and what has happened before. Only then can we truly relate to the problems of common people," she said.

The Emergency, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, lasted until March 21, 1977. It is widely remembered as a period marked by press censorship, mass detentions, and the suppression of democratic freedoms.