Arise Bharat

By: Prashant Pole

Exactly fifty years ago today, the process of strangling the world’s largest democracy began..!

On this very day, the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi was found guilty by Justice Jagmohan Sinha of the Allahabad High Court on charges of adopting corrupt practices in the election.

In the 1971 Lok Sabha election, Indira Gandhi contested from Raebareli. Her opponent, Rajnarayan, accused her of using corrupt methods in the election and dragged her to court. Fifty years ago, on this day, Justice Khanna held Indira Gandhi guilty of Corrupt Practices under Section 123(7) of the Representation of People Act, 1951. For this corrupt conduct, her election was annulled, and she was declared disqualified from contesting elections for six years. Indira Gandhi was accused of misusing government machinery, which was proven in court.

This was a historic judgment. Justice Khanna, with great courage and fearlessness, proved that everyone is equal before the law.

The election of the country’s Prime Minister was canceled due to corrupt practices. She was declared ineligible to contest any election. Naturally, she should have resigned from the post of Prime Minister. A Congress leader should have been appointed as a temporary Prime Minister for a short period, awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision. This was the expectation of the law. This was morality.

However, Indira Gandhi did none of these things. She took a step that tarnished India’s democracy. The Constitution, crafted by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, was shredded, twisted, and bent. The democracy was strangled..!

Despite being disqualified by the High Court from contesting elections, Indira Gandhi’s decision not to resign culminated in the imposition of the Emergency..!