Thiruvananthapuram, June 26 (IANS) Kerala BJP President, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Friday used the anniversary of the 1975 Emergency to call for constant vigilance in safeguarding the Constitution, asserting that its protection was the collective responsibility of every citizen and not merely that of political parties or governments.

Addressing a function organised to mark the anniversary of the Emergency, Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that the Emergency imposed by the Congress government nearly five decades ago represented one of the gravest assaults on India’s constitutional framework and democratic institutions.

He claimed that the measures taken during the period were intended not to protect national security or advance national interests, but to safeguard a political party and a single political family.

Describing the Emergency as more than a chapter in history, the BJP leader said it continued to serve as a reminder of the importance of preserving democratic values and constitutional safeguards.

“Those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it,” he said, adding that the warning remained as relevant today as it was in 1975.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that the Congress government had employed brute force during the Emergency to suppress fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, particularly the freedoms enshrined under Article 19.

He said attempts to curtail civil liberties during that period underscored the need for citizens to remain alert against any erosion of constitutional rights.

Drawing a parallel with contemporary issues, he expressed concern over what he described as emerging challenges relating to the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 and questions surrounding property rights.

Referring to the ongoing debate over the Waqf issue, he said constitutional protections relating to property must be upheld without compromise.

He also cautioned against any attempts to interfere with the freedom of the media, saying that a free Press remained indispensable to the functioning of a healthy democracy.

The BJP state president further claimed that organisations which had openly questioned or rejected the Indian Constitution had today entered mainstream politics and positions of power, describing the trend as a challenge to the country’s constitutional values.

Calling upon citizens to treat constitutional values as a shared national responsibility, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said observing the Emergency anniversary once a year was not enough.

The Constitution, democracy and the nation’s foundational principles, he said, could be protected only through vigilance and commitment every single day.

–IANS

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