New Delhi, Jun 26 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave a shout-out to the newly elected Speaker Om Birla for condemning the Emergency (1975-1977) in his first speech, in the 18th Lok Sabha.

“I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered during those days,” PM Modi said.

Om Birla, in his maiden speech in the 18th Lok Sabha, invoked the ‘dark days’ of Emergency and also called for a 2-minute silence over the ‘black chapter’ of Indian democracy, triggering protests from the Opposition benches.

Notably, June 25, 2024, marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, imposed during the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government. The 21-month-long period saw the basic rights and freedom of citizens taken away and the Constitution trampled upon.

PM Modi further underlined the need to impress upon today's new generation about those 'dark days' to make them understand, ‘what a dictatorship looks like’.

“The Emergency was imposed 50 years ago but it is important for today's youth to know about it because it remains a fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed. The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like,” PM Modi further said on X.