Hyderabad (Telangana) [India] June 26 (ANI): Telangana BJP President Ramchander Rao participated in the ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ programme, which was held at the party’s state office in Nampally on Thursday.
Following the programme, the Telangana BJP president accused the Congress party of insulting and violating the Constitution.
He alleged that the party had curbed fundamental rights by imposing the Emergency, while criticising Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for carrying a copy of the Constitution. He further claimed that Congress has historically opposed both reservations and the Constitution itself.
“The 51st year of the black day of emergency was observed in Telangana BJP state office. Those who went to jail then were all honoured here. Both former governors have felicitated them. The Congress party is responsible for insulting and violating the Constitution in this country. By imposing the Emergency, the fundamental rights were curbed, and now Rahul Gandhi takes along with him the book of the Constitution… The Congress was always against the Reservation and the Constitution…” said Rao.
During the event, Rao visited an exhibition, which detailed the suspension of constitutional rights during the Emergency.
Reflecting on the period in a post on X, Rao underscored the gravity of the Emergency, mentioning that over 1.1 lakh citizens were arrested during the period. He also mentioned the curtailment of press freedom and the silencing of the judiciary. He further highlighted the human cost of the era, noting that the forced family planning operations and demolitions were conducted against vulnerable sections of society.
“#SamvidhanHatyaDiwas As part of, I visited an exhibition at the state party office showcasing how the Congress Party murdered the Constitution during the Emergency period. Those 21 months stand out as one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history. Over 1.1 lakh citizens were arrested, press freedom was suppressed, the courts were silenced, and forced family control operations and demolitions were carried out against the most impoverished and vulnerable sections,” said Rao.
Governors C. Vidyasagar Rao and Bandaru Dattatreya were also present at the event. Speaking to ANI, former Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao emphasised the importance of educating the youth on the ideals of the Constitution. He stressed that a dedicated campaign is necessary to ensure that another Emergency is never imposed in the future.
“To reiterate our feelings and to uphold the ideal of the constitution, we have to take a campaign among the youngsters so that in the coming days nobody can venture to impose this kind of emergency and other things,” said Rao.
Former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya characterised the Emergency as the “blackest day” in India’s history, asserting that democracy was dismantled and all civil rights were abrogated during that period.
“It is the blackest day in the history of India because democracy was butchered and all the civil rights were abrogated… Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency. She was anti democracy…” Dattatreya told ANI.
India was placed under an Emergency between June 25, 1975 and March 21, 1977. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is widely criticised for the suspension of fundamental rights during the period, and for arresting opposition leaders, including Jayaprakash Narayan, under the stringent Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). JP Narayan had led the Sampoorn Kranti Bihar Movement against the Congress government in the 1970s.
As per the Shah Commission reports, the period witnessed mass detention, a sterilisation drive, and censorship of the press.
The BJP marks June 25 as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas”. (ANI)
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