Lucknow, Jun 25 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Saturday hit out at the Congress on the 47th year of emergency in India, saying that the special measure was imposed in the country by a family greedy of power in a cowardly attack on democracy.

Pathak said this at a seminar, titled ‘Dark Phase of Democracy: Black Day', held at BJP headquarters to remember the almost two-year-long period during which the fundamental rights of the citizens were dispensed away with by the Congress-led central government.

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The seminar was attended by several senior BJP leaders including Pathak.

Emergency was announced in the country on June 25, 1975 when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, and was lifted on March 21, 1977.

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"In the greed of power, a family imposed emergency in the country. The emergency imposed by Congress 47 years ago was the biggest cowardly attack on the country's democracy," Pathak said at the seminar.

He went on to say that during the period the citizens were treated worse than they were during the British rule, and those who opposed it were severely tortured.

Lakhs of people were imprisoned for no reason, censorship was also imposed on the courts, and the press, he also said.

"Despite this, lakhs of people not only opposed this immoral decision, but also taught a lesson to the dictatorial government, even as they ere subjected to torture," he said.

“'Loktantra ke senani' (defenders of democracy) who fought against the Emergency have a big contribution in the restoration of democratic values," Pathak said.

(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)