Did PM Modi Help Activists During the 1975 Emergency?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- PM Modi's involvement in supporting jailed activists during the Emergency.
- Indira Gandhi's misuse of power leading to the Emergency declaration.
- Impact on civil liberties during the Emergency period.
- Historical context of the Emergency and its implications for democracy.
- Personal accounts highlighting the harsh realities faced during this time.
New Delhi, June 25 (NationPress) BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma revealed several astonishing facts regarding the 1975 Emergency, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's covert involvement in supporting the movement against the oppressive regime, as well as assisting jailed activists and volunteers.
He stated that during the Emergency, PM Modi provided aid to those incarcerated, sharing a specific story about an imprisoned individual who was unaware of the source delivering him a daily newspaper.
Sharma labeled the day as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas', asserting that individuals who currently brandish the Constitution as its protectors should reflect on the past and recognize how their own administrations undermined democracy and the Constitution five decades earlier.
“These individuals lack the ethical standing to discuss the Constitution and democracy,” he remarked.
The former Chief Minister elaborated on how then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi obliterated democracy by abusing her authority and governing through decrees.
He noted that a pivotal court ruling disqualified Indira Gandhi’s election, preventing her from contesting elections for six years, an outcome she could not accept, leading her to declare Emergency under the pretext of internal unrest.
Reflecting on this dark chapter, he stated, “The justification for imposing Emergency was claimed unrest, but in reality, there was no chaos. Indira Gandhi faced a significant judicial blow, and in her quest for power, she resorted to such drastic measures.”
“Indira Gandhi stripped away all powers, including those of the judiciary and media. Over four lakh individuals were detained under 'MISA'. Many were subjected to forced sterilizations, living in dire conditions,” he recounted.
Sharma further detailed PM Modi’s efforts to support jailed activists during the Emergency, recounting the case of journalist Vikram Rao, arrested in a dynamite case and confined in a small, airless cell. He recalled that despite the conditions, a newspaper somehow reached him daily.
“The jailor disclosed that an RSS volunteer was responsible for delivering the newspaper. After his release, he discovered that the RSS volunteer was none other than Narendra Modi,” he elaborated.
Dinesh Sharma also mentioned that his father was arrested during this period on allegations of bank robbery.
“I vividly remember my childhood when the police hung me upside down to pressure my mother into revealing my father's whereabouts. If she failed to comply, they threatened to drop me,” he recalled, sharing harrowing stories from the Emergency.