‘Indira Gandhi Put Us In Jail, But Never Abused Us': Lalu Prasad On Emergency

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday recalled the experiences of leaders during the Emergency era, stating that while then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi put many of the leaders behind bars, she never abused them.

In a post shared on X, the RJD chief shared an article "The Sangh Silence in 1975" written by him and journalist Nalin Verma. In the article, they attacked the BJP-led central government and said that although 1975 is a stain on the country's democracy, let's not forget who doesn't respect the Opposition in 2024.

"I was the convener of the steering committee that Jayaprakash Narayan--had constituted to carry forward the movement against the excesses of Emergency imposed by the then PM Indira Gandhi. I was in jail under the Maintenance of Security Act (MISA) for over 15 months. My colleagues and I did not know many of the BJP ministers speaking about the Emergency today. We hadn't heard of Modi, J P Nadda, and some of the PM's other ministerial colleagues who today lecture us on the value of freedom," he posted on X.

"Indira Gandhi put many of us behind bars, but she never abused us. Neither she nor her ministers called us "anti-national" or "unpatriotic". She never enabled vandals to defile the memory of Babasaheb Ambedkar--the architect of our Constitution. 1975 is a stain on our democracy but let's not forget who doesn't respect the Opposition in 2024," the RJD leader added.

On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, imposed a 21-month state of emergency. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which is considered one of the most controversial periods in India's political history.

Earlier on Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of the Parliament and criticised the imposition of 'Emergency'.

"Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the Emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers", she said. Her remarks have sparked reactions from leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc.