Parliament Winter Session: PM Modi recalls Cong government's excesses during 'Emergency'

PM Modi while speaking at Lok Sabha on Monday. Pic/PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invoked the memories of the Emergency (1975) while commemorating the 150th year of Vande Mataram in Parliament. The Prime Minister also described the patriotic hymn as a guiding force of India's freedom struggle and a symbol of resilience against oppression.

As the Prime Minister arrived in the Lok Sabha, members of the ruling party broke into slogans of Vande Mataram, setting the tone for the historic occasion, reported IANS.

The Prime Minister further emphasised that the celebration was not merely ceremonial but a moment of reflection on India's democratic journey.

PM Modi, while speaking at the lower house, asserted that, "We all have this great fortune in this House... On this historic occasion, we are witnessing a moment that brings to light the heart of history," as cited by news agency IANS.

He also urged fellow parliamentarians to use the discussion as a source of education for future generations.

The Prime Minister, while speaking at the Lok Sabha, also highlighted that many chapters of history had unfolded before them, from the sacrifices of freedom fighters to the trials faced during the Emergency.

He further recalled that when Vande Mataram marked its 100th year, the country was shackled under the chains of the Emergency.

While the Prime Minister was asserting his views on the ‘Emergency', the lower house triggered a burst of slogans from the treasury benches: "Shame, shame, shame."

PM Modi noted how the Constitution was strangled, and patriots were jailed

After asserting about the ‘Emergency', the Prime Minister further described the period of ‘Emergency' as a "dark calamity" in India's democratic history, contrasting it with the current celebration of 75 years of the Constitution and 150 years of Vande Mataram.

PM Modi also linked the commemoration to other milestones being observed this year -- the 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Patel and Birsa Munda and the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur.

He said that these anniversaries together reflect the spirit of sacrifice and unity that shaped India's destiny.

The Prime Minister also added, "The 150th journey of Vande Mataram has passed through many stages. Today is an opportunity to restore pride in that great chapter. I believe Parliament and the nation must rise to this occasion. This should never be allowed to happen again," as per IANS.

Stressing that the leadership of the freedom struggle was carried with Vande Mataram, he further pointed out that this was something that lifted the energy and spirit in freedom fighters.

(With inputs from IANS)