Congress still paying for its sins, says BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi

Bengaluru: Terming the Emergency which was imposed on June 26, 1975 as the darkest period in Indian history, former BJP President Dr Murali Manohar Joshi said that the Congress was still paying for its sins committed during the Emergency period.

Speaking at a function organised on the eve of 40th anniversary of the Emergency in the country, Dr Joshi said that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had curtailed the constitutional rights of people, the judiciary and bureaucracy.

Recalling his and other leaders' ordeal in jail during this period, Dr Joshi said that the role of common people, who carried out the struggle while leaders were in jail was great.

The leaders were arrested without any valid reason and in some cases, the reason would be that they had talked to a leader six months ago. Even Lokanayak Jayaprakash Narayan, who was unwell was treated very badly by the then government, he said.

After the Emergency, the Congress bit the dust and now too, its decline is continuing. However, the Congress presence was still there in the South India, as the intensity of the Emergency was less here.

Union Urban Development Minister Mr Venkaiah Naidu came down heavily on Left parties, who did not join the struggle against the government during Emergency days. “Today, though there is a people's mandate for Mr Narendra Modi, the Left parties resort to so many struggles including award vapsi.

However, when the Emergency was declared, there was no people's mandate for Indira Gandhi and yet they were mute spectators. The Left was never right and now they call the Modi government intolerant. It was the Left which exhibited tolerance for an intolerant act of Mrs Gandhi,'” he added.