Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal said on Thursday that the Emergency remarks of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla were a “travesty” of Parliamentary traditions.
In his letter addressed to the Speaker, he said, “I am writing this in the context of a very grave matter impacting upon the very credibility of the institution of Parliament. Yesterday that was 26th June, at the time of offering felicitations on your election as Speaker Lok Sabha, there was a general camaraderie in the House as such occasions generate.”
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“However, what followed thereafter, which is a reference from the Chair after your acceptance speech, in regard to the declaration of Emergency half a century ago, is deeply shocking. Making of such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of history of Parliament. This coming from the Chair as one of the ‘first duties’ from a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions,” Venugopal said.
The senior Congress leader further said, “I, on behalf of Indian National Congress, express our profound concern and anguish over this travesty of Parliamentary traditions.”
On Wednesday, Birla read out a resolution in the Lower House condemning the imposition of the Emergency by former prime minister Indira Gandhi on 25th June 1975.
“This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India. 25th June 1975 will always be known as black chapter in the history of India,” Birla said.
Notably, in a counter to the Emergency raised by the BJP, the Congress on Wednesday recounted how Constitutional values and principles were “trampled” upon under the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre after it came to power in 2014.
