PM rule swarming with ‘undeclared Emergency’: Congress

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on Emergency, the Congress on Sunday alleged that the country has been under a state of “unwritten, undeclared Emergency” was prevailing under his rule.

Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan also alleged a “disrespect for Constitution, subjugation of democracy by bringing down elected governments, right of dissent being taken away”, in the current regime.

He said that subjugation of democracy can be highlighted by examining what happened in Congress-ruled states of Arunchal Pradesh and Uttarkhand.

“We have this discussion initiated by the current government today on Emergency. Let me at the outset say that this country is going through an undeclared Emergency.

“This is an undeclared Emergency. I am also reminding you when Advaniji had talked about the proviso of Emergency that exists, he was clearly hinting at the fact that this dispensation is capable of declaring Emergency,” Mr Vadakkan said.

He was referring to BJP veteran L.K. Advani’s remarks made a year ago that “forces that can crush democracy are stronger” now and Emergency was possible.

“We have a government led by an autocratic Prime Minister. The ministers are in suspended animation. The foreign minister of this country has no role, the finance minister is called a waiter by the unofficial spokesperson of the BJP. Can you call him his master’s voice. May be he is the unofficial spokesperson of the PM indeed,” Mr Vadakkan said referring to recent spat between finance minister Arun Jaitley and BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.

While targetting the government over issues like the suicide of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad University, JNU row, controversy in IIT Chennai over Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle and FTII agitation, he said these were “examples of undeclared Emergency”.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Sunday dubbed as “event management” the Narendra Modi government’s push to get NSG membership and accused it of “embarrassing” the nation with its “misplaced euphoria”.

“There was no reason for our government to file the application. It was ill-advised — the desperation, which the Prime Minister showed and also the prematured claims, which he made when he went to Switzerland and Mexico as if everybody is endorsing us,” former Union minister Anand Sharma said.

“I want to reiterate. Diplomacy is not done by loud pronouncements, creating hype and expectations or misplaced euphoria that ends in embarrassment for the country,” he added.