Opposed Emergency even when in Congress: Scindia
BHOPAL: Rajya Sabha member and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said that he had opposed the imposition of Emergency, even when he was a part of the Congress party.
Scindia made the remarks at a virtual rally to mark 100 days of Shivraj Singh Chouhan assuming power for a fourth term in Madhya Pradesh. Union minister for rural development Narendra Singh Tomar, Chouhan, and state BJP president VD Sharma, also addressed the rally.
“When many countries shuddered to think how to control the coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a firm decision on lockdown. On one side, there is a party which imposed Emergency on the country to stick to power, and on the other another party’s leader made an appeal to people with folded hands to comply with lockdown and 130 crore people of the country responded to his request with a positive mindset,” Scindia said. The Rajya Sabha MP also addressed allegations from some Congress leaders that he started criticising the Emergency after joining the BJP.
“I wish to tell them I always opposed Emergency and abided by the truth even when I was in Congress. What is true is true, and what is wrong is wrong. At the end of the day, a human being has to live with himself. If you see yourself in the mirror and find yourself a liar, you will not be able to sleep comfortably,” said Scindia.
He said India would have witnessed heavy virus casualties if Modi had not decided to impose an early lockdown. “He saved thousands and lakhs of lives with the timely lockdown decision,” he added.
Chouhan announced a law to stop the exploitation of poor people by moneylenders and alleged that the Kamal Nath government did nothing to control the spread of the pandemic.
“The government has come to know that moneylenders are fleecing people during Covid. A law will be enacted so that people from weaker sections of society and tribals don’t have to repay loans taken from such moneylenders ,” Chouhan said.