Modi should learn lesson from Emergency: Digvijay

Jammu, June 25: Recalling that Congress got a drubbing in 1977 polls following imposition of Emergency by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said that is a lesson every political party and leader should learn, including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Well for that (Emergency), Mrs Indra Gandhi apologised for that herself. Therefore, we got drubbing in 1977 elections because of that. That was lesson which everyone should learn, including Mr Modi", Singh told reporters here today.

"The party was even punished for that. We want others to learn a lesson from such an episode and no one should try to ruin the democratic system of a country," Singh said. Indira Gandhi had imposed emergency in the country on June 25, 1975 after the Allahabad High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court found her election to the Lok Sabha 'null and void'.

During this 22-month period, Gandhi invoked Article 352 of the Constitution to grant herself 'extraordinary powers' and launched a massive crackdown on civil liberties and political rivals, arresting opposition leaders like Vijayaraje Scindia, Jaiprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. The Emergency officially ended on March 23, 1977.

PTI