I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time," PM Narendra Modi later tweeted.
"If Modi gets the Speaker of his choice, the opposition could soon find itself fighting him on the streets instead of parliament," - says Pakistani newspaper 'Dawn'.
"The House should function on your signals and not the other way round. We stand with all your just decisions... I hope that you will respect the opposition as much as you respect the ruling dispensation," said Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party felicitating Speaker Om Birla.
"You're sitting here as the chief justice of the court of democracy," he remarked.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla surprised many, issued a statement from the chair using strong words against Emergency and the then Congress leadership under Indira Gandhi.
He also observed a two-minute silence in the memory of the citizens who lost their lives during the Emergency, inviting slogans and protests from the Opposition and eventual adjournment of the House.
"The Emergency had destroyed the lives of so many citizens of India, so many people had died. We observe two minutes of silence in the memory of such dutiful and patriotic citizens of India who lost their lives at the hands of the dictatorial government of Congress during that dark period of the Emergency," Birla said.
"This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. We appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting India's democracy," Om Birla said amid vehement protests and sloganeering by the Opposition.
The Speaker's statement -- almost out of the blue - after Prime Minister Narendra Modi finished the listed agenda of introducing his ministers left many people surprised.
It also strongly negated Congress campaign last two days holding a copy of Indian Constitution trying to allege that the Modi government was a threat to the Constitution. The historical fact of the matter is it is the Congress that did so in 1975 and it was done by none other than Rahul Gandhi's own grand mom Indira.
The debate and sound and fury over Emergency is far from over as this year happens to be the 49th year of imposition of Emergency when constitutional rights of the citizens was suspended just to help one individual continue in power.
Birla's reference to the Emergency, which happened shortly after he assumed charge as the Speaker of the Lower House for a second straight term, also led to the first adjournment in Parliament this year.
Congress and its other INDIA bloc member MPs raised slogans against the reference to the Emergency.
Lasting for nearly two years, from June 1975 to March 1977, the Emergency was imposed by the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and agreed upon by the then President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution. A state of emergency was declared on the rationale that there were imminent internal and external threats to the country.
Calling the period a "dark period", Om Birla said that Indira Gandhi - by imposing the Emergency - had "attacked the Constitution made by Babasaheb Ambedkar".
"Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India. Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Indira Gandhi imposed dictatorship on such an India. The democratic values of India were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled," the Lok Sabha Speaker said in Hindi.
He further stated that during the Emergency, Indians had to bear the brunt of "compulsory sterilisation" imposed by the then Congress government, "arbitrariness in the name of removing encroachment in cities and the government's evil policies".
"The then cabinet had post-facto ratified the Emergency, approving this dictatorial and unconstitutional decision. Therefore, to reiterate our commitment to our parliamentary system and this second independence achieved after countless sacrifices, it is necessary to pass this resolution today.
We also believe that our young generation must know about this dark chapter of democracy," Birla said and urged the MPs to observe a two-minute silence.
Soon after, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for the day and NDA leaders staged protests outside Parliament with placards with messages such as 'Dictatorial mentality, Congress reality', 'Some things never change', among others. Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Prahlad Joshi were seen in the front row of the protests.
The NDA leaders also raised slogans by standing on the stairs of Parliament.
"I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered during those days," PM tweeted.
"The Emergency was imposed 50 years ago but it is important for today's youth to know about it because it remains a fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed.
The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like."
ends
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