On 44th anniversary of 1975 Emergency, Mamata Banerjee fires fresh salvo against Narendra Modi, says Centre has not learnt anything from history

New Delhi: Taking aim at the BJP-led central government, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that the country went through a period of ‘Super Emergency’ in the last five years, Narendra Modi’s first tenure as Prime Minister. “Today is the anniversary of the Emergency declared in 1975. For the last five years, the country went through a ‘Super Emergency’. We must learn our lessons from history and fight to safeguard the democratic institutions in the country,” Banerjee tweeted on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the 1975 Emergency.

Today is the anniversary of the #Emergency declared in 1975. For the last five years, the country went through a ‘Super Emergency’. We must learn our lessons from history and fight to safeguard the democratic institutions in the country

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 25, 2019

Banerjee, who has been at loggerheads with BJP, did not participate in the recent all-party meetings convened by Prime Minister Modi. She also skipped the swearing-in ceremony of the new government last month and did not attend the 15 June NITI Aayog meeting. On the other hand, Modi said that the country saluted those who “fiercely and fearlessly” resisted the Emergency period. “India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency. India’s democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset,” he tweeted.  

India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency.

India’s democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset. pic.twitter.com/vUS6HYPbT5

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2019

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25 June marks the day when then prime minister Indira Gandhi had declared a state of Emergency in the country for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution due of the prevailing “internal disturbance”, the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975, until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977. The order vested upon the prime minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be suspended and civil liberties to be curbed. The Emergency is considered to be one of the most controversial periods of independent India’s history.