JOIN USAttempts were made to crush democracy during Emergency: PM Modi
Attacking Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said attempts were made to crush democracy in India during the Emergency in 1975.
In his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast, Modi recalled the Emergency imposed by the then Indira Gandhi-led government and said all rights were "snatched away" during that time.
“It was the month of June when an emergency was imposed. In that, all the rights were taken away from the citizens of the country. One amongst those rights was the 'Right to Life and Personal Liberty' provided to all Indians under Article 21 of the Constitution. At that time an attempt was made to crush the democracy of India. The country's courts, every constitutional institution, the press, were put under control,” the PM said.
Emergency was announced in the country on June 25, 1975, when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister, and was lifted on March 21, 1977.
“But even after many attempts, thousands of arrests, and atrocities on lakhs of people, the faith of the people of India in democracy did not shake… not at all! For us, the people of India, the sanskars of democracy which we have been carrying on for centuries; the democratic spirit which is in our veins, finally won. The people of India got rid of the emergency and re-established democracy in a democratic way. It is difficult to find such an example of defeating a dictatorial mindset, a dictatorial tendency in a democratic way, in the whole world,” he said.
The PM urged people to ensure that they along with their family members, especially the elderly, get the precautionary dose of the vaccine against coronavirus on time and take necessary precautions like hand hygiene and masks.
He also paid glowing tributes to Mithali Raj and conveyed his best wishes to the legendary former Indian skipper who announced her retirement earlier this month.
Referring to Sabarimala Yatra in his radio address, the PM said, “This pilgrimage to seek Darshan of Bhagwan Ayyappa on the hills of Sabarimala has been going on from the times when this path was completely surrounded by forests. Even today, when people go on these yatras, how many opportunities are created for the poor… from religious rituals to lodging arrangements. These yatras directly give us an opportunity to serve the poor and are equally beneficial to them. That is why the country, too, is now making many efforts to increase the facilities for the devotees in their spiritual journeys."