Bihar Guv demands Congress' apology for 'Emergency'

Governor of Bihar, Satyapal Malik on Monday demanded an apology from the Congress for the state of emergency, imposed in the country in 1975.

June 25 marks the day when former prime minister Indira Gandhi had declared a state of emergency in the country for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977.

"The Congress should apologise for the emergency. After the Sikh riots, Manmohan Singh went to the Golden Temple and apologised, but the Congress is yet to apologise for the emergency. I demand the Congress leadership to apologise to the country," said Malik.

He stated that schools should include a chapter about the Emergency, saying that children should know how independence was snatched away from the country.

"There cannot be another emergency in the future. There was no government during the emergency, a mere two-three people were running the nation. Those people who were oppressed then should remember," he added.

The Emergency was officially imposed by the then President, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution due to the prevailing "internal disturbance".

It is considered to be one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history.