Emergency can never be imposed again: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Another emergency can never be imposed in India and the country can run only as a democracy, union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Tuesday.

Participating in the discussion on commitment to the Constitution as part of the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of B.R. Ambedkar, the minister said there were some things about India that were certain now.

"This country will run on democracy, there will be no military coup, and there cannot be another emergency," said the communications and information technology minister.

He said the whole debate over secularism was some "illusion".

"Secularism means respecting all beliefs... The whole debate around secularism in this country is stuck in an illusion," he said.

Later, Congress leader Anand Sharma referred to the emergency, and said the ruling party members were "selectively remembering history".

"The Indira Gandhi government was also an elected government. The army was asked to revolt against an elected government," Sharma said.

He was, however, interrupted by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati who said the discussion on Ambedkar and Constitution should not lose its course.

"We are discussing the Constitution and Ambedkar's anniversary... We must focus on the issue," she said.

Sharma clarified that he raised the point as it was earlier raised by ruling party members.