Congress chief Kharge calls for restoration of true democracy, criticises PM Modi’s statement on 1975 Emergency

Neeraj Mohan

New Delhi, June 25 

In a sharp critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused the ruling administration of undermining democracy and the Constitution over the past decade.

Kharge’s response came to PM Modi’s statement recalling the Emergency declared by the then Congress prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 to suppress civil liberties, citing Article 352 of the Indian Constitution on June 25.

“The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again,” PM Modi wrote a post on X.

“Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution,” he added.

Kharge highlighted a series of actions that he termed as an “undeclared Emergency”, including the misuse of investigative agencies against opposition leaders, toppling elected governments, and passing significant laws without proper consensus.

Kharge questioned the democratic values of the Modi government, pointing out the suspension of 146 opposition MPs and passing of critical laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, without adequate parliamentary debate. He criticised the imposition of controversial agricultural laws, which led to prolonged protests.

The Congress president further lambasted the BJP government for hasty decisions like demonetisation and the abrupt lockdown during the pandemic, citing a lack of cooperation and transparency.

He also condemned the unilateral relocation of statues of national icons like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Mahatma Gandhi from the Parliament premises.

Kharge emphasised Congress’ commitment to democracy and the Constitution, contrasting it with what he described as the BJP’s disregard for these principles. He called on the nation to reflect on these issues and urged for a return to genuine democratic practices.