Recalling the political turmoil of 1975 in the country, Union Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda took a dig at the former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi for what he said throttling freedom of expression by imposing Emergency.
Speaking at a function organised by the Kalaburagi district unit of the BJP to observe “anti-Emergency day” here on Sunday, Mr. Sadananda Gowda said that with the imposition of Emergency, Ms. Gandhi tried to keep herself in power.
During Emergency, Ms. Gandhi curbed freedom of Press and journalistic ethics by imposing censorship on newspapers, restricting them from writing anything against the government of the day.
Mr. Sadananda Gowda said that prominent leaders and journalists who opposed Ms. Gandhi were arrested.
“We should be vigilant and never allow such things to happen again,” he cautioned.
Ms. Gandhi faced severe criticism for her actions, the results of the 21-month Emergency reflected with the defeat of the Indira Gandhi-led Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in 1977, he added.
As many as 13 people who were imprisoned during the days of Emergency were felicitated on the occasion.
‘We should be vigilant and
never allow
such things to happen again’
