BJP’s online poll backfires: Majority say Congress won’t reimpose emergency if voted back to power
New Delhi: An online poll conducted by the BJP on its official X handle (@BJP4India) appears to have backfired, with over 70% of respondents rejecting the idea that the Congress would reimpose Emergency if it returned to power. The poll, launched on June 25 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, aimed to stir public memory about the suspension of democratic rights in 1975.
The BJP, which frequently invokes the Emergency to target the Congress, might not have anticipated the outcome of its own poll. By Thursday afternoon, more than 23,000 people had voted, with 70.9% saying No, and only 29.1% agreeing that Congress would bring back Emergency.
The result raised eyebrows, especially considering the poll came from the verified handle of the BJP, which has a follower base of 23.2 million. Critics pointed to this as a rare moment of the ruling party's formidable IT cell appearing to be caught napping.
Beneath the poll, users flooded the replies with posts juxtaposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure with headlines on alleged threats to democracy, ranging from suppression of dissent, misuse of central agencies, media censorship, hate speech, and violence against marginalised communities.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking at a press conference the same day, termed the BJP’s “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” campaign an attempt to distract from the “real Emergency” in the country, marked by rising authoritarianism, curbs on press freedom, and institutional erosion.
Later in the day, the Union Cabinet passed a resolution commemorating June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas, stating that 50 years ago, India's democratic values were "subverted," and that the Emergency was a dark chapter where “federalism was undermined and fundamental rights suspended.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who first proposed observing June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas in 2024, spoke at an event in Delhi marking the day. He hailed Modi’s role in the anti-Emergency movement, describing how the young activist went underground, adopting various disguises including a sadhu and a newspaper vendor.
“Divine justice has taken place,” Shah said. “The same young man who fought Indira Gandhi’s dictatorship brought an end to dynastic politics in 2014.”
However, online reactions to the BJP's commemorative efforts were mixed, with many using the platform to highlight what they described as the current government's own failings in upholding democratic values.
While online polls are unofficial and often vulnerable to manipulation by bots or campaigners with pre-set agendas, the overwhelming response in this case suggests the BJP’s narrative may not be resonating as intended, at least not in the digital public square.
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Telangana CM urges Amit Shah to increase sanctioned strength of IPS officers in state
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday night and urged him to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state in view of its growing administrative and security needs.
The two leaders also discussed the recent surrender of several senior Maoist leaders before the Telangana Police and other issues.
"During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the issue of Maoist surrenders and their rehabilitation. The chief minister informed Shah that significant improvements in policing have taken place in Telangana over the past two years," an official release here said.
Highlighting that 591 Maoists have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of society during this period, the chief minister said the state government was providing them compensation and rehabilitation assistance as per the rules.
He requested the Union home minister to extend financial support from the central government for development works in the backward regions of the state.
Reddy also urged Shah to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state from 83 to 105 in line with the state's growing administrative and security needs, the statement said.
The first cadre review after the formation of Telangana was conducted in 2016, while the next review, due in 2021, was delayed and finally carried out in 2025. Even then, only seven additional IPS officers were allocated to the state, the chief minister informed Shah and requested that the third cadre review be conducted in 2026 as per the schedule.
Reddy explained that Telangana, like the rest of the country, is facing several modern challenges, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and other emerging security threats.
He highlighted the reorganisation of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Police Commissionerates, the proposed formation of the Future City Commissionerate and the rapidly growing population in Hyderabad to underline the increasing administrative requirements of the state.
