‘They fought Emergency’: In bid to isolate Congress, BJP MPs praise SP, RJD, DMK leaders

This took place when both the parties stood with the Congress in disrupting the PM’s speech in the Lok Sabha Tuesday.

The ruling members appeared to be suggesting that the INDIA alliance was not a natural one and the regional parties in it were once Opposed to the Congress. They also underlined how the founders of these regional parties fought the Emergency.

Former union minister and BJP MP from Rajasthan PP Chaudhary even went on to suggest that the SP, RJD and DMK had ideologies that favoured the Constitution and that the same could not be said about the Congress.

“Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi spoke in the House. He called the entire Hindu society violent. The entire Hindu society is angry because of this. He should apologise for this. Even on Agniveer, he did not put forth correct facts. They are all holding the Constitution in their hands. But the people who shred the Constitution into pieces are talking about the constitution?” Chaudhary, a former union minister, said while participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

He then began talking about Emergency and how it was imposed because the election of Indira Gandhi was nullified by the court.

“There was a protest against this. I want to thank our friends from the SP, the DMK and the RJD. Lalu (Prasad Yadav) ji, Mulayam (Singh Yadav) ji and (M) Karunanidhi ji… all raised a voice against it. I am surprised they are associated with the INDI Alliance today. Their ideologies do not match. I do not think this alliance is going to last. I agree that you have an ideology in favour of the constitution, be it of SP, the RJD or the DMK. But it does not match with those of the Congress,” Chaudhary said.

BJP MP from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey also spoke at length on the Emergency and how the Congress tinkered with the Constitution throughout its rule.

“These people are talking about the constitution. When (RJD MP) Misha Bharati was born, (Lalu ji) was in jail. In MK Stalin’s autobiography, the most interesting topic is how he was handed over to the Police during the Emergency. Akhilesh Yadav is sitting here. I knew his father. He was a big man. He used to tell me stories of Emergency and how when he was jailed his wife did not have enough money to feed the family,” Dubey said.

Akhilesh, who was listening intently, even acknowledged this with a smile.