The Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, expressed his dissatisfaction with remarks made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding the Emergency period. On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi met with Om Birla in his chamber to voice his concerns, noting that the comments were "clearly political" and could have been avoided, according to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, who spoke to reporters after the meeting in Parliament.
The meeting included Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, RJD MP Misa Bharti, and NCP Sharad Pawar faction leader Supriya Sule. "It was a courtesy call during which Rahul Gandhi also raised the issue of the Emergency being invoked by the Speaker in the House," Venugopal explained. He further noted that "The Speaker declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition and after that, he along with other INDIA bloc partner leaders met the Speaker."
This meeting followed an incident on Wednesday when Om Birla, upon assuming the role of Speaker for the second consecutive time, read a resolution condemning the imposition of the Emergency on June 25-26, 1975. This action triggered protests from Congress members, who rushed into the well of the House, leading to an adjournment. Om Birla also observed a two-minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives during what he referred to as the "dark period," stating that democratic values and freedom of expression were severely compromised during the Emergency.
Adding to the controversy, President Droupadi Murmu referenced the Emergency in her address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, describing it as the "biggest attack" on the Constitution and the "darkest chapter" in India's history.
