Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday reflected on the hardships people went through during the dark days of Emergency, and said while then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent many leaders to jail, she never abused them.

In a post shared on X, the former Bihar Chief Minister shared an article, “The Sangh Silence in 1975”, penned by him along with journalist Nalin Verma, in which they attacked the BJP-led central government and said that although 1975 is a stain on the country’s democracy, let’s not forget who doesn’t respect the Opposition in 2024.

“I was the convener of the steering committee that Jayaprakash Narayan–had constituted to carry forward the movement against the excesses of Emergency imposed by the then PM Indira Gandhi. I was in jail under the Maintenance of Security Act (MISA) for over 15 months. My colleagues and I did not know many of the BJP ministers speaking about the Emergency today. We hadn’t heard of Modi, JP Nadda, and some of the PM’s other ministerial colleagues who today lecture us on the value of freedom,” he posted on X.

“Indira Gandhi put many of us behind bars, but she never abused us. Neither she nor her ministers called us ‘anti-national’ or ‘unpatriotic’. She never enabled vandals to defile the memory of Babasaheb Ambedkar–the architect of our Constitution. 1975 is a stain on our democracy but let’s not forget who doesn’t respect the Opposition in 2024,” the RJD leader added.

Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency in June 1975, which lasted until March 1977. It was declared citing imminent internal and external threats to the country.

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday called the Emergency of 1975 imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi the “biggest attack” on the Constitution and the “darkest chapter” in the nation’s history.

During her first address to Parliament, President Murmu said the country plunged into chaos during the Emergency and attempts to “tarnish” democracy should be condemned by everyone.

“Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during Emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers,” she said while addressing a joint sitting of Parliament.

“Every attempt to tarnish our democracy should be condemned by all. Divisive forces are conspiring to weaken democracy, create chasm in society from within and outside the country,” the President said amid cheers from the NDA members and protests by the Opposition leaders.

“Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly,” the Prime Minister posted on X on Tuesday.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge pointed out that while the Prime Minister talks about the 50-year-old Emergency, he has conveniently forgotten the “undeclared Emergency of the last 10 years”.