'One family's greed for power': Shah attacks Cong on 45 years of Emergency

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was one family's greed for power which led to the imposition of emergency, as today marks 45 years since then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took the step. Shah said that though democracy was restored in India, it remained absent within the Congress.

New Delhi:Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday took a jibe at the Gandhi family on the 45th anniversary of the imposition of emergency, stating that it was "one family's greed for power" that led to its imposition.

Taking to Twitter, Shah wrote, "On this day, 45 years ago one family's greed for power led to the imposition of the Emergency. Overnight the nation was turned into a prison. The press, courts, free speech...all were trampled over. Atrocities were committed on the poor and downtrodden."

Launching a direct attack at the Congress, Shah said that though democracy was restored in India, it remained absent in the Congress.

"Due to efforts of lakhs of people, the Emergency was lifted. Democracy was restored in India but it remained absent in the Congress. The interests of one family prevailed over party interests and national interests. This sorry state of affairs thrives in today's Congress too!" he added.

Shah further went on to claim that many leaders were feeling "suffocated" and "frustrated" within the Congress. Shah referred to the recent Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet in which senior members and younger members raised a few issues, saying that they were however "shut down".

Read:45 years to Emergency: A look at what led to this controversial period of Independent India

"During the recent CWC meet, senior members and younger members raised a few issues. But, they were shouted down. A party spokesperson was unceremoniously sacked. The sad truth is - leaders are feeling suffocated in Congress," the Union Minister tweeted.

Claiming that an "emergency mindset" still remained within the Congress, Shah asked the grand old party to introspect.

"As one of India's opposition parties, Congress needs to ask itself: Why does the Emergency mindset remain? Why are leaders who don't belong to 1 dynasty unable to speak up? Why are leaders getting frustrated in Congress? Else, their disconnect with people will keep widening," Shah wrote.

Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed emergency on June 25 in 1975. It remained imposed in the nation till March 21, 1977.

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