Highlights BJP’s efforts to strengthen Constitution since Modi’s tenure
MARGAO
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has strongly advocated the inclusion of the 1975 Emergency in the syllabus to spread awareness amongst younger generations about how the Indian Constitution was undermined 50 years ago by former Congress Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
He, however, hastened to add that the government has not yet decided to include the Emergency chapter in the syllabus, adding, “We can think of the same in the future.”
Speaking at the programme Samvidhan Hatya Divas 2025 at the Govind Ramnath Kare College of Law, Margao on Wednesday, the Chief Minister took the platform to launch a tirade against the opposition Congress for imposing Emergency in the country 50 years ago in 1975. He also highlighted the measures initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen the Constitution and empower Constitutional bodies including the Election Commission of India, Comptroller and Auditor General, Lok Pal, etc., in the last 11 years.
“Today, we are completing 50 years of the dark days of the Constitution to ensure that this is never repeated again. We have seen people moving with the Constitution book with them, creating a fear psychosis amongst the people that the Constitution is in danger,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that Goa, which was liberated in 1961, also faced the brunt of the Emergency when freedom fighters, RSS workers, and ABVP students were arrested and jailed by the government by invoking the MISA Act.
In contrast, the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken proactive steps to strengthen the Constitution by scrapping Article 370. “We believe in one country, one constitution and one flag. And, RSS and BJP leaders have sacrificed their lives towards the cause of one country, one flag, and one Constitution,” he added.
Meanwhile, asserting that the Emergency was promulgated in the country on 25 June 1975 to protect former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Congress-turned-BJP Margao MLA Digambar Kamat has said her grandson and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is moving around the country with a Constitution book raising fears that the Constitution is in danger.
“People should question Rahul on the imposition of Emergency in 1975 which resulted in the arrest of lakhs of people and suspension of fundamental rights of the common man,” he said.
“The Emergency was imposed to protect one person, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, just to save her against the orders of the High Court. Lakhs of people were imprisoned by the government across the country only to ensure that Indira Gandhi continued to rule as a dictator,” he added.
Recalling how Sanjay Gandhi went about implementing the Emergency across the country, Kamat saluted the poor and the downtrodden who opposed the Emergency and showed Indira Gandhi her place.
