GUWAHATI, June 27 - Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said that a state of �undeclared� Emergency prevails in the country nowadays, and attempts are being made to muzzle the Press, �saffronize� institutions and curtail democratic rights of the citizens.
Addressing a press meet here today, Gogoi said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was a �democrat� who went to the people to face verdict in 1977 and accepted defeat with humility when the poll results were declared following the lifting of Emergency.
Gogoi castigated the BJP for marking the 43rd anniversary of imposition of the Emergency and said no other political party had marked the occasion in this manner during previous years and decades.
While admitting that some excesses did take place during the Emergency period, Gogoi added that Indira Gandhi did express regret over the matter and also sought verdict of the electorate. Highlighting the recent episode involving a BJP MLA in J-K, who threatened the media, Gogoi said that democracy in the country has come under threat during the present dispensation.
