"Indira Gandhi imposed emergency, choked democracy": Rajnath Singh

KARNAL: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh slammed the Congress, reminding them of how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi choked democracy by imposing an emergency in the country. His comments came amid allegations by the Congress that if PM Modi-led BJP gets 400 seats after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, "democracy would be in danger."

Addressing a public meeting in Haryana's Karnal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "...They (the Congress) say if Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets more than 400 seats, it will put democracy in danger; he will become a dictator. But when Indira Gandhi lost her election before 1975, morally she should've resigned as a PM but she imposed the emergency and choked democracy..."

"Lakhs of people were put behind bars. At the age of 24, I was also jailed for two and a half months. Whoever wants to verify it, can do it. They (Congress) choked the democracy. My mother died due to shock when it was declared that the emergency had been extended by one year," Rajnath Singh added.

The Lok Sabha elections for the 10 parliamentary constituencies of Haryana are going to be held in a single phase on May 25.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state, the BJP swept the Lok Sabha polls in Haryana, capturing all 10 seats. In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 7 seats, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won 2 seats and the Congress secured only one seat.

The first five phases of polling were held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20.

The next two rounds of voting will be held on May 25 and June 1. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases, in a six-week marathon running from April 19 to June 1. The counting and results will be announced on June 4.