Tweeting on the anniversary of the 1975 Emergency, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee equated the last five years of NDA rule to a 'Super Emergency'.
Today is the anniversary of the #Emergency declared in 1975. For the last five years, the country went through a ‘Super Emergency’. We must learn our lessons from history and fight to safeguard the democratic institutions in the country
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 25, 2019
Mamata made the comparison on the 44-year-anniversary of the day that former prime minister Indira Gandhi declared a State of Emergency in India.
Mamata had earlier referred to Modi's rule as a 'super dictatorship' in 2017, saying "Super dictatorship is going on (in the country). If somebody says anything, they (the Centre) will send the ED, or CBI or IT to their homes. All are scared of that." In 2016, she referred to his government as dictatorial in criticism of plans to rationalise centrally-sponsored schemes, calling it an 'attack on federalism'.
In turns, members of Modi's government have also referred to Mamata as dictatorial. BJP National Secretary Sunil Deodhar responded on Twitter saying the 'real super emergency' was under Mamata.
This is super emergency by @MamataOfficial
— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) June 25, 2019
-60 bombs seized in North 24 Parganas district
-18 bombs recovered in Durgapur city
-100+ Karyakartas murdered by her goons
-Commission taken from people for welfare schemes
- People jailed & murdered for chanting Jai Shri Ram pic.twitter.com/CoLfjlalUI
In February, Union Minister Giriraj Singh referred to Mamata as a 'demon', comparing her to North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted on the occasion, highlighting how India's democratic ethos "prevailed over an authoritarian mindset".
India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2019
India’s democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset. pic.twitter.com/vUS6HYPbT5
CPI(M)'s party leader Sitaram Yechury also tweeted, saying that "greater resolve" was needed to tackle attacks on secular democracy, adding that "This attack is by those who don’t think India belongs to all its citizens. But it does, to all Indians irrespective of which god they pray to (or don’t)."
Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah also tweeted, saying: "It was on this day in 1975 that democracy of the country was killed only for our own political interests. Their fundamental rights were taken away from the countrymen, the newspapers were locked. Millions of patriots corrected many tortures to restore democracy. I salute all those fighters."
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, saying "Let us resolve never to allow repetition of subversion of the Constitution of this great democracy."
The Emergency lasted for 21 months, officially ending on March 23, 1977, though it was lifted in principle in January that year when political prisoners were released and fresh elections were called.
