Making the use of June 25 as the reference point when Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency 44 years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress both inside and outside Parliament on Tuesday.
PM Modi began by tweeting early in the morning: "India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency. India's democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset." The tweet had a video clip showing excesses committed during Emergency with copies of newspaper clippings.
Soon the topic was picked up by top BJP leaders like Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and started trending on the social media.
"It is on the same day in 1975 democracy was murdered in our country for political gains. Citizens were robbed of their fundamental rights and newspapers were put under lock. Lakhs of nation lovers underwent torture to re-establish democracy," Shah tweeted.
PM Modi did not leave it there and took the piercing criticism inside Parliament while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address. "Today is June 25, it was this night that country's soul was crushed. India's democracy wasn't born out of constitution but it was born out of India's soul.
"All of India was reduced to a jail, all the laws and constitutions were crushed on June 25," he said.
Describing how stalwarts like Jaiprakash Narayan, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Morarji Desai, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee were put behind bars, Modi said, "We remember this not because we want to criticise somebody but because we must not forget what happened. It is important for all of us to remember. This black spot on our democracy will stay forever."
Responding to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's jibe daring the PM to prove allegations against Gandhi family put them in jail, PM said, "We are being taunted for not putting 'them' in jail. We are not in Emergency, we follow the rule of law. You must enjoy while you are out of jail. We have got so much from our country, we don't need to sway from the correct path."
Rubbing in the crushing defeat that he handed to the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections leaving the party with only 52 seats, PM Modi said the party and its leaders have "risen so high" that they "could not see the ground" and he would wish them to rise even higher.
"So busy were they with delusions of soaring high that they forgot to remain rooted to the ground. So busy were they 'soaring' that they thought anyone on the ground is lowly and dirty. We have no such desire to soar. We are happy grounded, rooted and with our people," Modi said amid thumping of desks.
He also accused Congress of failing to honour anyone but those from the family. "I challenge the government that was in power from 2004-2014 to mention if they ever praised the work of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Did they ever speak good about the work of Narasimha Rao? I would not say anything had they spoken about Manmohan Singh ji in Lok Sabha in this debate."
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