Before the first Parliament session following this year’s general election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a statement that this June 25 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency and referred to it as a “black spot” on the nation’s democracy, seemingly in an assault on the main Opposition Congress.
After an election that denied the BJP a resounding majority, the Prime Minister began his third term in office and gave the populace the assurance that the administration will put in three times as much effort and produce three times as many outputs.
This election, he said, was significant because this is only the second government after Independence that has been chosen to continue for a third term in a row. “This opportunity has come after 60 years. When people have chosen a government for the third term, it means a stamp on its intent, a stamp on its policies and its dedication. I thank the people for this,” he told the media.
Referring to the Emergency imposed by the then Indira Gandhi government, he said, “Tomorrow marks 50 years of the black spot on Indian democracy. The new generation will not forget how the Indian Constitution was scrapped, how the country was turned into a jail and democracy was captured. In this 50th anniversary, the country will take a pledge that never again will it happen.”
The Prime Minister said the government will consistently try to take everyone along to serve the country and its people, but added a stern message for the Opposition. “India needs a responsible Opposition, people want substance not slogans, they want debate, diligence not drama and disturbance in Parliament. I hope the Opposition will live up to the people’s expectations,” he said.
The country, he said, has a lot of expectations from MPs and urged them to take every possible step for public welfare. The Prime Minister congratulated the newly elected MPs and noted that this is the first time new MPs will take the oath in the new Parliament building.
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