New Delhi: BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday targeted Congress over the imposition of Emergency in 1975 saying it makes "selfish politics" of Congress clear.
The BJP leader was addressing a virtual ' Yuva Samwad' organised by BJP Delhi Pradesh on 'national Emergency'.
"It is important to keep recounting the memories of Emergency so that lessons can be taken to strengthen the democratic structure and values of the country," he said.
Madhav said the independence of newspapers was impacted during Emergency and opposition political activities were banned.
"The chapter of Emergency, which is identified with Sampoorana Kranti, makes selfish politics of Congress clear. Frustrated by anti-government movements and independent judgments of the judiciary, the Congress government used the Emergency to protect its rule," he said.
Also read: Indira Gandhi imposed emergency to save her PM's chair: Union Minister RS Prasad
He said a small example of the extent to which the dictatorship of the Congress had escalated during the Emergency was that it had banned the singing of popular singer Kishore Kumar on Akashvani and Doordarshan for expressing inability to attend a private function of the Congress.
The biggest message that came out of the anti-Emergency struggle was to fight against oppression, he said.
Madhav said people launched satyagraha against the Congress government but the Indira Gandhi government imposed Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and Defence of India Act (DIR) and put people behind bars.
"Mostly, people of Sangh ideology went to jails, they were imprisoned under the MISA Act," he said.
He said the Emergency period from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977 was the "biggest blow to democracy".
ANI report
