Congress hits back after Speaker Om Birla calls Emergency period 'black chapter' in history of India
Congress hits back after Speaker Om Birla calls Emergency period 'black chapter' in history of India
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the 18th Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (June 27) met Speaker Om Birla and expressed disapproval over the chair's mention of the 1975 Emergency stating that it was "clearly political".
Gandhi along with other INDIA bloc leaders raised the issue in a courtesy call, said Congress general secretary K C Venugopal.
"It was a courtesy call. The Speaker declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition and after that, he along with other INDIA bloc partner leaders met the Speaker," he said.
Venugopal said that Gandhi voiced his displeasure over the Emergency reference and stated that it "could have been avoided" in his meeting with Birla.
"Rahul ji, as Leader of Opposition, informed the Speaker about this issue and said it could have been avoided from the Speaker's reference. That is clearly a political reference, it could have been avoided," the Congress leader further said.
Venugopal writes to Speaker expressing Congress' displeasure
Venugopal wrote a letter to Birla voicing the Congress party's displeasure over the Emergency reference.
"I am writing this in the context of a very grave matter impacting the very credibility of the institution of Parliament. Yesterday, that is 26 June 2024, at the time of offering felicitations on your election as Speaker Lok Sabha, there was a general camaraderie in the House as such occasions generate," Venugopal said in his letter to the Speaker.
"However, what followed thereafter, which is a reference from the Chair after your acceptance speech, in regard to the declaration of Emergency half a century ago, is deeply shocking. Making such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of the history of Parliament. This coming from the Chair as one of the 'first duties' of a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions," he added.
"I, on behalf of the Indian National Congress, express our profound concern and anguish over this travesty of Parliamentary traditions," he further said.
Om Birla condemns Emergency period, calls it 'black chapter' in history of India
Birla terming June 25, 1975, as a "black chapter" in the history of India, condemned the Congress-led government's decision to impose an Emergency stating that the move by the grand old party "attacked the Constitution".
The speaker, in his address to the house on Wednesday (June 26), hailed the individuals who opposed the Emergency and fought to safeguard the democracy of India.
"This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India. 25th June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India," Birla said.
"On this day, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in the country and attacked the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. India is known all over the world as the mother of democracy. Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India. Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Dictatorship was imposed on such an India by Indira Gandhi. The democratic values of India were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled," he added.
(With inputs from agencies)