Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi has said that the 50th anniversary of the Emergency declared in the country by the then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi is being observed to sensitise the next generation to the dark days of democracy in the country’s history.

He was speaking at a “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha” and remembrance of the 50th year of the struggle during Emergency organised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Dharwad on Sunday evening.

“Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975 by Indira Gandhi who ruled for 21 months without Constitutional and moral authority. During that time, protests were suppressed, many protestors were imprisoned and several people lost their lives,” he said.

“Indira Gandhi was accused of misusing her power during the elections by Raj Narain who took the matter to court. Justice H.R. Khanna of the Allahabad High Court delivered the verdict in that case. That judgment copy is not available anymore,” he said.

Mr. Joshi said that while the former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru initiated the first Constitutional amendment, his daughter Indira Gandhi later made several amendments, including Articles 38, 39, and 42. He said that having imposed Emergency on the people and making them suffer, the Congress is now claiming that the Constitution is in danger.

The Union Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has developed immensely in the last 11 years and become the fourth largest economy in the world.

The former judge S.H. Mittalkod presided over the event.

Hubballi-Dharwad Mayor Jyoti Patil, the former MLAs Amrut Desai and Seema Masuti and a host of municipal councillors and BJP leaders were persent.