Kolkata, Jun 26 (PTI) Union Minister Ajay Tamta on Thursday alleged that the then Indira Gandhi-led Congress government murdered democracy in the country by imposing the Emergency in 1975.

Maintaining that democracy is also in danger in West Bengal at present under the Trinamool Congress rule, the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways claimed that the people of the state desperately want a change in the coming 2026 Assembly elections.

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The Emergency declared on June 25, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lasted until March 21, 1977. It was marked by widespread press censorship, arrests without trial and the stifling of dissent in academia, politics and civil society.

The BJP-led central government has decided to observe June 25 as the 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' to commemorate the "massive contributions" of those who endured "inhuman pain" during the period.

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Tamta said that thousands of opposition leaders and workers, along with journalists, were sent to jail during the Emergency to throttle democratic movement in the country.

"The imposition of Article 352 of the Constitution on June 25, 1975, led to the murder of democracy in the country," Tamta told reporters at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district here.

Claiming that this led to discontent among the youth owing to huge inflation and joblessness, he said that the BJP had later worked to reestablish democracy in the country.

Tamta claimed that false cases were being registered against BJP leaders in the state to intimidate them.

"The way violence is perpetrated and people are subjected to intimidation whenever any elections are held, is not good for democracy," he said.

The minister said that people want a BJP government in the state in the next elections to become part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)