In 1975 it was a mistake; no time limit for undeclared emergency today: Singhvi

PTI New Delhi: Admitting that the Emergency in 1975 was a “mistake”, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said on Monday that while it lasted for 18 months, there is no time limit for the “undeclared emergency” in the country today. Participating in a debate on the 75-year glorious journey of the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha, he termed the Emergency period in 1975 as a constitutional distortion for a specific time frame while noting that the current undeclared emergency has no time limit and goes on unabated.

“Speaking for the emergency, there were mistakes committed, I mean it and Congress has also said it before. Now 90 per cent of speeches start from the first amendment in 1950. What about the distortions which have creeped in today... what is the answer? If Nehru committed a mistake, we will also do it, is this the way? It is not logical,” Singhvi said. He noted that the Emergency in 1975 lasted 18 months and people eventually reposed faith in the leadership of Indira Gandhi. “That Emergency was a distortion, which the constitution also supported. There were faults, but it ended. What is the time limit for this undeclared emergency which is there right now? What is the constitution safeguard to end it, there is nothing, zero,” Singhvi said.

Launching a scathing attack on the Union government, he stated that an environment of fear prevails in the country. “Constitution, the sacred scripture of our sovereignty is under siege, pillars of democracy tremble as tyranny tiptoes into our temples of power, the sanctity of secularism is being shredded and federalism is fractured,” Singhvi said. “We are witnessing an era where institutions are being incapacitated, dissent demonised and truth throttled. The custodians of democracy have become its conspirators, the protectors of liberty are now its predators,” he added.

Singhvi noted that Gandhi- Nehru-Patel must have done something right that democracy continues to be strong in India while it has faltered in so many other countries. He noted that the present government is working against the tenets of secularism and federalism. Citing bulldozing of buildings in certain states, he said over 95 per cent of the action taken has been against a particular community.