KARNAL: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticized the Congress, recalling how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi undermined democracy by imposing the Emergency in 1975. His remarks came in response to Congress’s recent claims that if the PM Modi-led BJP secures 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, “democracy would be in danger.”
Speaking at a public meeting in Haryana’s Karnal, Singh said, “The Congress says if Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets more than 400 seats, it will endanger democracy; he will become a dictator. But when Indira Gandhi lost her election before 1975, instead of resigning as Prime Minister, she imposed the Emergency and stifled democracy.”
“Lakhs of people were imprisoned. At the age of 24, I was jailed for two and a half months. Anyone who wishes to verify this can do so. The Congress choked democracy. My mother died of shock when it was announced that the Emergency had been extended by one year,” Singh added.
The Lok Sabha elections for the 10 parliamentary constituencies of Haryana are scheduled for a single phase on May 25. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP swept Haryana, winning all 10 seats. In the 2014 elections, the BJP won seven seats, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secured two, and the Congress won one seat.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases over six weeks, from April 19 to June 1. The first five phases of polling occurred on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. The next two rounds are set for May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes and the announcement of results will take place on June 4.
