Congress Slams Om Birla's Emergency Remarks As 'Travesty' Of Traditions

Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organisation, KC Venugopal on Thursday criticized Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's remarks on the Emergency, describing them as a "travesty" of Parliamentary traditions. In a letter to the Speaker, Venugopal expressed his concerns over Birla's statements, which he deemed unprecedented and inappropriate.

"I am writing this in the context of a very grave matter impacting upon the very credibility of the institution of Parliament," Venugopal wrote. He highlighted the general camaraderie in the House during the Speaker's election felicitations on June 26. However, he was deeply shocked by Birla's subsequent reference to the Emergency declared half a century ago, calling it a political statement from the Chair, an act he described as unprecedented in Parliamentary history.

The Congress leader expressed profound concern and anguish on behalf of his party, emphasizing that such remarks from the newly elected Speaker undermine Parliamentary traditions.

On Wednesday, Speaker Birla read out a resolution in the Lok Sabha condemning the imposition of the Emergency by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975. "This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India. 25th June 1975 will always be known as black chapter in the history of India," Birla stated.

In response, the Congress party countered the BJP's focus on the Emergency by highlighting how, under the Narendra Modi-led government since 2014, Constitutional values and principles have been "trampled" upon. The exchange marks a continuation of the political debate surrounding the legacy of the Emergency and current governance practices.

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