PM Modi Slams Congress for Emergency, Cites Nehru’s Actions

Recalling the Emergency period (1975-77), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the Congress Party for suppressing freedom of speech and democratic values. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he accused Congress of jailing dissenters, censoring the press, and banning artists who refused to support the government.

“The country has seen an Emergency. The Constitution was crushed just to maintain power. Congress speaks about democracy, but they have only kept the Constitution in their pocket,” PM Modi said.

Nehru Accused of Jailing Majrooh Sultanpuri

PM Modi also criticized former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, revealing that he jailed poet and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri for singing a song against the government during a workers’ strike in Mumbai.

“Majrooh Sultanpuri sang a song, ‘Commonwealth ka daas hai,’ and for that crime, Nehru ji put the famous poet in jail,” he said, emphasizing that Congress had a long history of suppressing artistic expression.

Congress Banned Artists and Imposed Censorship

PM Modi further stated that legendary actor Dev Anand was pressured to support the Emergency. When he refused, his films were banned on Akashvani (All India Radio).

He also mentioned other artists who faced political retaliation:

• Balraj Sahni was jailed for supporting protests.
• Hridaynath Mangeshkar was removed from Akashvani for trying to air a poem on Veer Savarkar.
• Kishore Kumar’s songs were banned after he refused to sing in favor of Congress.

Emergency and Press Suppression

PM Modi also accused the Congress of targeting the press during the Emergency by imposing heavy taxes on newspapers to silence criticism.

“One of the pillars of democracy, the free press, was crushed. The same Congress that talks about democracy today was responsible for silencing the media,” he said.

NDA Government Committed to Democracy

Comparing past Congress governments with the current NDA government, PM Modi assured that his administration is committed to protecting democratic values and honoring the vision of the Constitution’s makers.

“Unlike the Congress era, our government respects democracy. We are moving forward by keeping the aspirations of the Constitution makers in mind,” he said.

The Emergency remains a crucial political debate, with BJP frequently citing it to criticize the Congress Party’s historical governance.