Oppn hits out at Modi over 'Emergency' remark, says govt must focus on current issues
New Delhi, Jun 24: Opposition leaders hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "Emergency" remark on Monday, questioning his government's style of functioning and saying that it needs to focus on present issues.
Addressing the media in the Parliament complex ahead of the start of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Modi mentioned that the anniversary of the Emergency falls on June 25 and termed it a black spot in India's parliamentary history when the Constitution was discarded and the country turned into a prison.
Reacting to the remark, Mahua Moitra of the TMC said the BJP fell short of a majority in the election because the people of the country have realised that it is against the Constitution.
"From 303, the BJP is down to 240, they are running a minority government. They kept saying '400-paar' but could not even get a simple majority.
"The only reason is that the people of the country have understood that there is BJP on one side and the Constitution on the other. People have chosen the Constitution," Moitra said.
She also said that under the BJP government at the Centre, there had been an "undeclared emergency" in the country.
"I was not born during the first Emergency, but they (BJP) had been running an undeclared emergency for the last 10 years and the people of the country said it would not be allowed," the TMC leader added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ani Desai said the Emergency period is long over and the government should focus on the present.
"The Emergency period has gone, but what is the situation today? No one likes recalling the Emergency... I hope the dark days don't return," he said.
RSP leader N K Premchandran also said that talking about the 1975 Emergency is "insignificant" at this juncture.
"It happened in 1975, 50 years have lapsed, it is totally irrelevant. We are talking about things that are happening at present. It is insignificant talking about the 1975 Emergency at this juncture," he added.
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandrashekhar said the prime minister should follow his own advice.
"It would have been good if what he was saying had reflected in his work. In this Parliament itself, over 140 MPs were suspended and laws were passed. Hope this government, which is not as popular, will respect the people's sentiments and not impose any law," he said.
"The Constitution is the foundation of this country," Chandrashekhar added.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
