The BJP entails a historical narrative of the 1975 emergency declared by Congress to criticize Congress, especially on the issues of civil liberties and constitutional rights. This narrative is opposite to the fact which was accepted by the Congress and they accused Modi’s current administration as an ‘undeclared emergency. ’ BJP is being targeted by the opposition for attempting to ‘tamper with the Constitution. ’ It was in the 18th session of the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon the emergency imposed 50 years back by the Congress led by Indira Gandhi.
This is why BJP considers emergency as a strong theme since a number of leaders who initiated anti-Emergency movement today belong to the INDIA group. The Congress once again and again accuses an RSS about their magical preoccupations with mere Hindutva issues while not being concerned about issues concerning all the citizens. The Emergency is in response to the RSS and its alliance affronts: the Jana Sangh and ABVP. Select individuals in the BJP have contended that the RSS and its affiliate organisations’ time to go beyond Hindutva in constructing their image was during the JP Movement.
After the Emergency was lifted in 1977, the Janata Party formed by the combination of the Jana Sangh, Socialists, Congress (O) of Morarji Desai and the BLD of Chaudhary Charan Singh was voted to power. The leaders of the BJP involved were Atal Vajpayee, L. K Advani, and Braj Lal Verma who were made Union ministers. It was for the first time that leaders which had links with RSS were in the capacity of a minister in the central government. The BJP’s awareness of the incidence of the Emergency has helped the party to bring down the deference the Congress came to enjoy over the military triumph against Pakistan thus giving birth to Bangladesh in 1971.
To counter the Congress which is a major threat in the context of power the BJP has appropriated the emergency in the name of civil liberties and constitutional rights. Thus, despite the fact that Congress admitted that the emergency was a mistake, it did not try to “seize” an institution. Working more as a government and less of an opposition, the AAP says that the Modi regime’s ‘undeclared emergency’ is similar to the Indira Gandhi period of 1975.
Congress leader P Chidambaram posted: “Not only the Hon’ble Prime Minister it is the voice of the entire nation that ‘Emergency reminds us to protect the Constitution’. Yes indeed it reminded the people not to allow another emergency to happen and they exercised their franchise to make another BJP led Government in such a manner that no human or even divine power can alter the basic structure of the Constitution of India to meet the BJP end. ”
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