Akhilesh Yadav Criticizes BJP Over Emergency Allowance for Loktantra Rakshak Senani
New Delhi [India], June 26: Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav criticized the BJP after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla condemned the 1975 Emergency in Parliament. Yadav urged the BJP to increase the allowance for Loktantra Rakshak Senani, who were imprisoned during the Emergency period from 1975 to 1977 under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). Currently, they receive an allowance of Rs 20,000.
Yadav said, “Whatever the BJP has done today is just pretence. It wasn’t just them who went to jail at that time (Emergency). All the leaders, including Samajwadi Party leaders, had seen that era. But how long will we look back at the past?” He added, “BJP reduced the facilities given to Loktantra Rakshak Senani… If BJP is such a well-wisher, then why not have the party doubled their allowance? Will the BJP increase the allowance and facilities given to Loktantra Rakshak Senani? BJP should tell when it will give Rs 1 lakh allowance for the Loktantra Senani?”
Earlier in the day, Speaker Om Birla condemned the Congress-led government’s decision to impose an emergency in 1975 and the house maintained a two-minute silence for those who lost their lives during the period. Despite Birla’s speech, opposition parties continued to protest, chanting “Stop Dictatorship”. The Lok Sabha was adjourned until June 27.
Birla said, “This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India. 25th June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India.” He added, “On this day, Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in the country and attacked the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. India is known all over the world as the mother of democracy. Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India. Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Dictatorship was imposed on such an India by Indira Gandhi. The democratic values of India were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled.”
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and MP from Kota, Om Birla, was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha after the motion for the same was moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The motion was adopted by the house through a voice vote.
