'PM a brutal, Aurangzeb-like dictator': Congress hits back at Narendra Modi for his remarks on Emergency

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress on the anniversary of the Emergency, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala fired back at the BJP and said the party was attempting to distract voters ahead of 2019 elections. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday, Surjewala said Modi did not get his mandate on the 21-month-long Emergency that was in place some 43 years ago. Rather, the Modi government came to power on the promise of achhe din, good governance, employment, electrification, and development. [caption id=“attachment_4441671” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Congress leader Randeep Surjewala. News18[/caption] “Just because they have no answers, this brutal Aurangzeb-like dictatorial government can’t escape by shifting the focus away,” Surjewala said. He also called the BJP a Bohot Joothi Party, adding that whenever anyone tries to ask them a question about their performance in the past 49 months, they are called anti-national. He said that history will teach the bohot juthe pradhanmantri (lying prime minister) a lesson. He said, “Modi ji apni nakamiyo pe parda dalne ke liye itihaas se pratishodh le rahe hain par vo ye bhul gye ki vo khud itihaas banne vale hain (Modi ji is trying to take revenge on history but he forgets that soon he too will be a chapter in it).” Surjewala also questioned on the government’s welfare schemes and claimed programmes meant for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes were cut by half by the ruling dispensation. Surjewala also said that while Modi was talking about an incident that took place decades ago, an “undeclared Emergency” in taking place in India. “Dalits and Tribals are being stripped and beaten for the slightest assertion of their identity. Media personnel are being harassed. There is an environment of fear and panic all around,” Surjewala added. Modi, speaking in Mumbai on Tuesday,  called the Emergency a black spot in India’s golden history while addressing an event to mark its 43rd anniversary imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. [caption id=“attachment_4602291” align=“alignnone” width=“850”] Toon by Manjul.[/caption] Modi said the day needs to be observed to rededicate oneself to the protection of the Constitution and democracy. “Emergency is a black spot on the golden history of the nation. Observing black day today is not just to criticise the Congress for its sin of imposing Emergency but also to create an awareness for the protection of Constitution and democracy,” Modi said , “The party which has no internal democracy cannot be expected to follow the ideals of a democracy.” “For selfish interests, Congress turned the country into a jail by imprisoning Opposition leaders. For them, the country and democracy have no value. Instead of (Indira Gandhi) quitting as prime minister after the court verdict, Emergency was imposed. How can these people talk about safeguarding the Constitution?” he asked. “When Kishore Kumar refused to sing for them (Congress), his songs were not allowed to be played on the radio,” Modi added.