'Indira Gandhi put us in jail, but..': Lalu on Emergency
What's the story
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday recalled the times he was imprisoned during the 1975-1977 Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Sharing an article that he co-wrote with journalist Nalin Verma, Prasad wrote that Gandhi put many of those opposing the Emergency behind bars, but she never abused them.
"Neither she nor her ministers called us 'anti-national' or 'unpatriotic," he wrote.
Context
Why does this story matter?
An intense debate has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress-led opposition regarding the 1975 Emergency.
While BJP ministers, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have emphasized the horrors of the Emergency, calling it an example of "what a dictatorship looks like," the opposition has argued otherwise.
They argue that an "undeclared emergency" is already in force over the past 10 years under the Modi government.
Twitter Post
Read the piece here
I was the convener of the steering committee that Jayaprakash Narayan—had constituted to carry forward the movement against the excesses of Emergency imposed by the then PM Indira Gandhi. I was in jail under the Maintenance of Security Act (MISA) for over 15 months. My colleagues… pic.twitter.com/9fyThckm01
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) June 29, 2024
Political critique
Prasad criticizes current leadership's use of Emergency history
Prasad, who was jailed for over 15 months under the Maintenance of Security Act (MISA), criticized Prime Minister Modi and Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, for treating the Emergency's anniversary as a "black day."
He accused them of using the House to deflect attention from governance failures and attempting to portray themselves as "heroes" in the battle against Emergency.
Opposition stance
Sonia Gandhi questions necessity of reviving 'Emergency' issue
Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party and a Rajya Sabha MP, also criticized the move to mark June 25 as a "black day."
She stated it was unnecessary to bring up the 'Emergency' issue.
She reminded that in March 1977, following the lifting of Emergency, Gandhi's Congress government was voted out of power.
However, less than three years later, it returned to power with a majority never achieved by Modi and his party, she added.