‘Deeply shocking, unprecedented’: Congress’ KC Venugopal writes to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over his Emergency reference

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. (Image: File/PTI)

Congress MP KC Venugopal has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, terming his reference to the Emergency in his acceptance speech on Wednesday as “deeply shocking” and “unprecedented”.

In his letter addressed to the Speaker sent on Thursday, Venugopal, the general secretary in charge of organisation in Congress, said, “Making such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of parliamentary history.”

“I am writing this in the context of a very grave matter impacting upon the very credibility of 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,” his letter further read.

“However, what followed thereafter, which is reference from the Chair after your acceptance speech, in regard to declaration of Emergency half a century ago, is deeply shocking. Making of such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of history of Parliament. This coming from the Chair as one of the ‘first duties’ from a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions. I, on behalf of Indian National Congress, express our profound concern and anguish over this travesty of Parliamentary traditions,” he added.

On Wednesday, shortly after taking charge as Speaker, Om Birla read out a resolution condemning the imposition of the Emergency on the night of 25-26 June 1975, calling it an attack on the Constitution by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This act triggered strong protests from Congress members in the House.

Birla reminded everyone that on 26 June 1975, the country woke up to the harsh realities of the Emergency, when the Congress government jailed opposition leaders, imposed restrictions on the media, and curtailed judicial autonomy.

“As we enter the 50th year of the Emergency, this 18th Lok Sabha reiterates its commitment to uphold, protect and preserve the Constitution built by Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he said as opposition members, mostly from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans against the reference to Emergency.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the Speaker’s reference to the Emergency in the Lok Sabha, saying it was important for the youth as the period was a “fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled, and institutions are destroyed,” adding that “the happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like.”

While Congress members raised slogans against the reference to the Emergency in the Lok Sabha, BJP MPs gathered in large numbers on the steps of the Parliament building to protest against the suspension of civil liberties 49 years ago.