Amid Row Over "Dark Days Of Emergency", PM's Shoutout For New Lok Sabha Speaker

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised newly-elected Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla for his condemnation of the Emergency. In his first move after assuming the key post, Mr Birla called for a 2-minute silence to honour those who suffered during the "dark days of emergency".

Mr Birla read out a resolution condemning the Emergency in the Lok Sabha and spoke up against the then-government headed by prime minister Indira Gandhi. The move stirred up a row and the House was adjourned amid an uproar from the Opposition benches.

PM Modi though, backed Mr Birla calling the '2 minutes of silence' a wonderful gesture.

"I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered during those days," the Prime Minister said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"The Emergency was imposed 50 years ago but it is important for today's youth to know about it because it remains a fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed. The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like," he added.