New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the Emergency turned the entire country into a prison, where civil liberties were suspended and opposition leaders were jailed without trial. She was speaking during a mock parliament event organised by Delhi BJP’s women’s wing at Maharashtra Sadan to mark 50 years of the Emergency.Taking a swipe at Congress on the occasion, the chief minister said, “Those who carry the Constitution in their pockets should recall that it was under their govt that it was murdered. Under Indira Gandhi’s rule, all rights were taken away just to protect one seat of power.” She said there was a time when the entire country was made a “big prison, anyone could be arrested at any time, and all opposition leaders were behind bars.““Some ask why we recall the Emergency every June 25. It’s like ‘Ramleela’, which is performed every year to remind us not to become Ravana. We remember the Emergency to ensure no leader or govt ever dares to repeat it,” Gupta said. The chief minister urged women political workers to educate themselves on both past and current political events. “We, as women, must understand the context of what is happening politically and what has happened before. Only then can we truly relate to the problems of common people,” she said.Highlighting the significance of the 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Gupta said it was a significant step toward women empowerment. New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj alleged the then Congress regime was responsible for “killing laws, the Constitution and democracy, amending the Constitution at will and jailing anyone who spoke in the national interest, just to suppress dissent”. She said the effects of 33% reservation for women would be visible in the next Lok Sabha. New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the Emergency turned the entire country into a prison, where civil liberties were suspended and opposition leaders were jailed without trial. She was speaking during a mock parliament event organised by Delhi BJP’s women’s wing at Maharashtra Sadan to mark 50 years of the Emergency.Taking a swipe at Congress on the occasion, the chief minister said, “Those who carry the Constitution in their pockets should recall that it was under their govt that it was murdered. Under Indira Gandhi’s rule, all rights were taken away just to protect one seat of power.” She said there was a time when the entire country was made a “big prison, anyone could be arrested at any time, and all opposition leaders were behind bars.““Some ask why we recall the Emergency every June 25. It’s like ‘Ramleela’, which is performed every year to remind us not to become Ravana. We remember the Emergency to ensure no leader or govt ever dares to repeat it,” Gupta said. The chief minister urged women political workers to educate themselves on both past and current political events. “We, as women, must understand the context of what is happening politically and what has happened before. Only then can we truly relate to the problems of common people,” she said.Highlighting the significance of the 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Gupta said it was a significant step toward women empowerment. New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj alleged the then Congress regime was responsible for “killing laws, the Constitution and democracy, amending the Constitution at will and jailing anyone who spoke in the national interest, just to suppress dissent”. She said the effects of 33% reservation for women would be visible in the next Lok Sabha.
