Jyotiraditya Scindia slams Congress, says Emergency imposed in 1975 was a lockdown on democracy

New Delhi, July 15: Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said the Emergency that was imposed on the country in 1975 by the then Congress government at the Centre, was like a lockdown on democracy in the country.

Scindia was addressing a public meeting at Agar-Malwa on Tuesday. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a number of development projects for the district on the occasion.

In his speech, Scindia said , "On one side there is a party which imposed Emergency that was a lockdown on democracy and on the other side there is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who implemented lockdown to save the life of people."

"People may say that I am opposing Emergency now when I have joined the BJP but the fact remains that I opposed it even when I was in Congress," he said.

Slamming former chief minister Kamal Nath, Scindia said when he (Scindia) raised the issues concerning people of the state for the sake of justice to them, Nath said let him (Scindia) take to streets "but Kamal Nath ji forgot whose grandson and whose son I am".

He further went on to say that Kamal Nath's government betrayed every section of people whether it was farmers, youth, women or others. He also said whereas a corrupt government did nothing for welfare of people in Madhya Pradesh in its 15-month rule, Chouhan took several decisions for people in just 90 days.

Meanwhile, State Congress spokesperson JP Dhanopia said, "When Scindia ji was in Congress he used to issue warning to the government on every issue that he would take to streets but he didn't say a single word when the BJP government failed to control COVID-19 situation in the state and is responsible for spread of coronavirus in the state. He must look into his earlier speeches to realise what his opinion was for the BJP."