In 1975, the Allahabad High Court, while delivering its verdict against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, found her guilty of rigging the elections. With this, the foundation of Emergency was laid in the country 46 years ago.
Professor JS Singh, Dean, and Head of the Faculty of Law at Allahabad Central University (IVV) tells that this story dates back to 1971 when Indira Gandhi defeated Samyukta Socialist Party candidate Rajnarayan by a huge margin in the Lok Sabha elections of Rae Bareli. His victory was challenged in the court by Rajnarayan. After this trial that lasted for almost five years, when the judgment was about to be taken on June 12, 1975, before 10 in the morning, courtroom number 24 of the Allahabad High Court was packed.
The court found that Indira Gandhi had misused government resources under the Representation of the People Act. Therefore, they are disqualified from contesting elections to the Lok Sabha or the Legislative Assembly for the next six years.
Supreme Court Vacation Judge Justice VR Krishna Iyer delivered the judgment on 24 June 1975. According to this decision, Indira Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership could continue. Only 13 days after this decision, Indira Gandhi imposed an emergency in the country from midnight of 25 June 1975. Through the Emergency, Indira Gandhi imprisoned all the opposition leaders. In this, apart from Rajnarayan, who won the case from the High Court, many big leaders of that era like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Jayaprakash Narayan, Lal Krishna Advani, George Fernandes were also involved.
