Emergency is 'most shameful incident in Indian history': Hukumdev Narayan Yadav

New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) BJP leader Hukumdev Narayan Yadav has dubbed the Emergency imposed during the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government in 1975 as the "most shameful event in Indian history" and said that it was imposed to keep a particular person as the prime minister whose election had been declared illegal by the court.

"Today's youth should seriously and objectively think about why the Emergency was imposed in 1975. There was neither an internal rebellion nor any external threat at that time. Why was the Emergency then imposed at that time? The Emergency was imposed purely for personal interest, self-interest and to keep oneself (Indira Gandhi) in power," he told PTI.

The BJP leader said the then prime minister had misused power to fulfill the lowest level of political selfishness and this will remain as the most shameful incident in Indian history and the Constitution.

The foundation of imposing Emergency was laid on June 12, 1975 when Justice Jagmohan of the Allahabad High Court gave his verdict on Raj Narain's petition against Indira Gandhi's election, said Yadav.

This verdict was a milestone for the entire judicial system and political system, he added.

The BJP leader said the statue of Justice Jagmohan, who without any fear or temptation gave this verdict in which the election of the then prime minister was declared illegal and she was barred from contesting the polls for six years, should have been installed in all the courts.

Yadav said the then prime minister imposed the Emergency to keep herself in power.

Sharing his experiences related to the Emergency, the BJP leader said that he was a member of the Bihar Assembly at that time.

Shortly before the court's verdict related to Indira Gandhi, there was a by-election in Madhubani and the then Bihar Chief Minister Abdul Ghafoor was contesting from this seat against Chandrakala Devi, he added.

Yadav alleged that the Congress then did all illegal things in the elections.

There was rigging in the counting of votes. People came out against this and as a result the student movement started in Bihar, he said.

The BJP leader said that people from all parties then went to Jayaprakash Narayan and requested him to lead the movement.

"Jayaprakash ji accepted the leadership of the movement on the condition that all parties come on one platform," he added.

Yadav said that a huge gathering led by Narayan was held at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan and on the basis of this Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency without taking the Cabinet's approval.

Indira Gandhi felt a threat to her government. So, Emergency was imposed to keep a particular person as the prime minister, he claimed.

The BJP leader said that Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975 and he was arrested exactly one month later.

Yadav further said that he was kept in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Buxar and Motihari jails in Bihar and was falsely accused of conspiring with George Fernandes to blow up the railway tracks.

He said that the polls were announced when he was in Motihari Jail and added his colleagues collected money for bail and filed the election papers. PTI DR AS AS