No political party principally opposed to the Congress could have better raked up the Emergency on its 49th anniversary than the BJP.
Starting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech ahead of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, anecdotes of the Emergency were mentioned in the Speaker’s speech followed by the President's address. To the Opposition’s surprise, Speaker Om Birla took a step further and asked for a 2-minute silence to pay homage to the “victims” of the Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.
This was followed by NDA leaders who took it up a notch higher and staged a protest outside the Parliament with placards against Congress soon after the proceedings of the House were adjourned on the first day.
After this whole fiasco, the question arises: Was this sequence of events “designed” merely to observe the Emergency anniversary and condemn it, or was there a larger aim behind it in the context of the outcome of the recent elections?
A possible theory floating around indicates that the BJP orchestrated the ‘Emergency campaign’ and trained all guns at the Congress and counter the INDIA bloc’s narrative that PM Modi was a threat to democracy and it is, therefore, their duty to protect the Consitution.
A deeper analysis of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 results shows that Congress’ narrative to protect the Constitution from PM Modi in the run-up to the elections worked in their favour. Many analysts believe that it was probably one of the reasons behind the BJP falling short of a majority. Even NDA allies like the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, openly accepted that the Opposition succeeded in building a narrative against PM Modi and a few sections of the society believed that the Constitution was in danger.
Shrewd BJP politicians, therefore, countered this narrative post-election when they got the first opportunity to speak knowing that all eyes are on them. The Emergency anniversary added to their advantage and gave them a chance to leave no stone unturned in rebuffing the Opposition’s narrative.
They vehemently criticised the Congress for what it did back in 1975. And to ensure it reaches every corner, they did it repeatedly. Their unanimous effort was to send the message that the tendency to muzzle democracy is still alive in the hearts of Congress leaders.
The BJP knows that the Congress’ ‘Constitution in danger’ campaign has found some acceptance on the ground, and people are now doubtful about PM Modi. While this might not have cost them dearly as they were able to form the government, it could prove to be detrimental in the future.
This is the reason that the BJP utilised the opportunity to its maximum more than ever before. They know that they can counter Congress’ narrative with anecdotes of the Emergency and push it on the back foot.
BJP knows that unlike issues such as the economy, education, jobs, infrastructure, and the more recent NEET paper leak Congress cannot give a justification and put forth hard facts to justify the Emergency. Even if the Congress tries to do so with its leader Shashi Tharoor saying that the Emergency was undemocratic, but strictly within the boundaries of the Constitution, it will only going to backfire and give more ammunition to the BJP to attack it further.
For Congress, the Emergency is like Kryptonite, which Superman fears the most and weakens before. And we all know who this Superman is.
The BJP’s focus on the Emergency serves multiple political objectives: it counters the Opposition’s narrative, reinforces its own democratic credentials, and keeps the Congress on the defensive about its historical actions. But for how long can the BJP use it as a potent tool in its arsenal to attack the Congress?
Tactics like raking up the dark days of the Emergency through multiple channels and blaming everything on Nehru, UPA 1 and 2 have been optimally utilised by the BJP. Now they need to be accountable for their actions and, to run a healthy democracy, take the Opposition board. They also need to stop evading the issues raised by the Opposition and show eagerness to conduct debates.
The BJP must keep in mind that the Opposition is much stronger than it was in the last decade. And if it fails to do so it must prepare itself to see Superman rising against Kryptonite.
