Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says Emergency was a sin'

New Delhi: Dubbing the Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 as “purely a sin” committed to protect power and throne of the Congress and the then PM, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said textbooks should include a chapter on it to send a “strong and effective message of power of democratic values against the dictatorial mindset.”

In a blog titled, “The 1975 Emergency — A dirty deceit against democracy,” the Union minister said India had seen two other Emergency situations prior to the 1975 one, which were “wholeheartedly supported” by the people but the Emergency of 1975 was the “biggest blot on the Indian democracy” when hundreds of people were killed, put in jail and both the then PM and the Congress  “shamelessly, tried to demolish the soul of the Constitution.”

“The Congress government gave reason for the Emergency, imposed in the midnight of 25th June 1975, that there were imminent threat to the country. The Congress sycophants started shouting ‘India is Indira, Indira is India’ slogan. They painted the threat to Indira Gandhi’s chair as a threat to India...The anger among the people of the country had been increasing day by day due to dictatorship, the anger against the Congress had been converted into hate.,” wrote Mr Naqvi. He added that it was the result of people’s commitment to the country’s democratic values and hatred against the dictatorship that they strongly opposed “feudal mindset” of the Congress.

“The people of the country fought for democratic values, constitutional rights and they were succeeded in protecting the democracy and the Constitution by removing the Congress from power.  But the question still arises that whether the Congress has overcome that feudal mindset and dictatorial culture or not,” asked the Union minister.

He said “government terrorism and anarchy, cruelty” was at its peak during 1975 Emergency, democratic and Constitutional rights of the people were violated, political opponents, social activists jailed and sedition charges levelled against political-social activists, students and journalists.

“This (Emergency) was the result of dictatorial mindset. Inclusion of the chapter on the Emergency in textbooks will be a strong and effective message of power of democratic values against the dictatorial mindset,” he said.