Key Points

In a write-up on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, CM Fadnavis said that faith in the Constitution has become stronger now.

"If those leaders had not fought, perhaps dictatorship would have been established in our country too. The situation that Pakistan is in today would have been the same in India, too. The democracy that is alive today is because of those leaders who fought 50 years ago. Today, the memory of those leaders is more necessary than the Emergency. The more the stories of exploitation by the Gandhi family and the Congress come forward, the stronger democracy will become. Today, we are presenting these heartbreaking stories of the Emergency in the form of pictures in every district of the state. Everyone should definitely visit it."

He further added, "We will also honour the families who fought during the Emergency and the fight they fought for the restoration of democracy by giving them certificates of honour. The state government has also decided to pay honorarium to those families. This is a sacred flower that we have offered in the temple of protecting democracy. However, the coming generations must understand this history."

The CM said that today marks 50 years of a dark chapter in the country. "How can we call it a golden jubilee? Jubilee is meant to be a good one. Therefore, it is only necessary to say that the 50 years have been completed for a chapter written by the Congress party, which trampled the Constitution, the constitutional system and democracy. We should never forget the old days, they constantly give us the strength to fight."

According to the chief minister, the Emergency devastated many families. Many lost their loved ones. Many families went into debt while the breadwinner was in jail. They were hit by a financial crisis. Many people's property was confiscated, and their industries and jobs were permanently destroyed. There was great exploitation on both mental and financial levels. "If you ask me about my personal experience, I was only five years old. My father, Gangadharrao Fadnavis, was also arrested. I was able to meet him only when he went to jail to deliver the boxes or when he was taken for a medical check-up. At a young age, I had to stay away from my father for a long time. Because of this, I was angry," he said.

"Under the MISA Act, anyone could be imprisoned without trial. Laws were made that even if a police officer shot someone out of personal enmity, he could not be prosecuted in court. One judge of the Supreme Court was opposed to this. The other four judges, however, remained silent. The one judge who accepted the right to fundamental freedoms given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had to step down. The Constitution was being torn apart just to satisfy the ego of a family," said the chief minister.

He said that when the great Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was alive, the Congress never accepted his ideas, and during the Emergency, it took a stand to take revenge on the sacred Constitution he had given. Over three lakh people were imprisoned. The leaders from the Socialists, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Jan Sangh were in that movement. Only two parties stood up in support of this Emergency, one of which was the CPI and the other was the Shiv Sena. The CPI(M) had also taken an oppositional stance, said the chief minister.

"Today, after Operation Sindoor, the Congress should be ashamed of the position it took. In fact, there was a war with Pakistan some time before the Emergency. Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced that he would stand by Indira Gandhi as the Jana Sangh leader at that time. After the Emergency was lifted, another rally was held at Ramlila Maidan. Slogans like Indira Gandhi Murdabad, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Zindabad were chanted. Atalji pacified the crowd, he recalled.

"People understood the profound significance of democracy more clearly, and their faith in the Constitution deepened," said the CM.

Meanwhile, the BJP-led Mahayuti government will observe the Constitution Assassination Day across the state, expressing resolve to protect Democracy.

- IANS