On 28th September 1942, British government arrested Raj Narain and logged him in jail, where he would remain detained until 1945. Raj Narain was a social worker, and a freedom fighter. He was born in 1917 in a village near Varanasi. In 1934, he became member of Congress Socialist Party. When he was arrested by the British he was the president of Student Congress and was leading protests in and around Varanasi during 1942 Quit India movement.
After independence, Raj Narain joined the Socialist Party led by Acharya Narendra Deva, Jayprakash Narayan and Dr Rammanohar Lohia. Dr. Lohia described him as "a person who has heart of a Lion and practices of Gandhi". Dr. Lohia even said, "if in India there could be just three or four persons like him, dictatorship can never shadow the democracy".
In 1971 Lok Sabha elections Raj Narain contested against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli constituency. After Indira Gandhi won the election by fraudulent means, Raj Narain filed a petition in Allahabad High Court alleging that Indira Gandhi used bribery, government machinery and resources to gain an unfair advantage in the election. Narain specifically charged Indira Gandhi of using government employees as election agents and of organising campaign activities in the constituency while still on the payroll of the government.
During the course of the trail, Indira Gandhi attained the dubious distinction of becoming the first India Prime Minister to be cross-examined as an accused in a High Court. On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices. Sinha declared the outcome of election in Rae Bareilly constituency "null and void", and barred Indira from holding elected office for six years. He had found Indira guilty of misusing government machinery. The court order gave the Congress party twenty days to make arrangements to replace Indira Gandhi in her official posts. Indira Gandhi challenged the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court delivered the verdict on 24 June 1975, upholding the High Court judgement and ordering that all privileges Indira Gandhi received as an MP be stopped, and that she be debarred from voting.
Indira Gandhi then asked the President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, to declare emergency, and state of Internal Emergency was declared on the next day, 25th June 1975. The reason cited was that political disorder was a threat to national security. Raj Narain was arrested and put in jail, along with other opposition party leaders like Jayprakash Narayan, Vajpayee, and Advani. Using sweeping powers granted by the emergency decree, thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested, press censorship was introduced and elections were postponed. During this period, Congress party amended the Indian Constitution and overwrote the law that Indira Gandhi had been found guilty of violating. As the constitution requires, Indira Gandhi advised continuation of Emergency over every six-month period and the compliant President Fakruddin Ahmed approved it every time.
In Januray 1977 Indira Gandhi decided to hold elections. Voting was conducted between 16th and 19th March. Counting of votes was done on 20th March. The Congress party faced a historic defeat, with its seats tally coming down from 350 in 1971 to 153 in 1977. The Janata Party alliance won a landslide majority with 345 seats, winning close to 52% of total votes polled. Raj Narian contested again from Rae Bareli constituency against Indira Gandhi, and defeated Indira Gandhi by more than 55,000 votes. Emergency was officially ended the next day, 21st March 1977.
After independence, Raj Narain joined the Socialist Party led by Acharya Narendra Deva, Jayprakash Narayan and Dr Rammanohar Lohia. Dr. Lohia described him as "a person who has heart of a Lion and practices of Gandhi". Dr. Lohia even said, "if in India there could be just three or four persons like him, dictatorship can never shadow the democracy".
In 1971 Lok Sabha elections Raj Narain contested against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli constituency. After Indira Gandhi won the election by fraudulent means, Raj Narain filed a petition in Allahabad High Court alleging that Indira Gandhi used bribery, government machinery and resources to gain an unfair advantage in the election. Narain specifically charged Indira Gandhi of using government employees as election agents and of organising campaign activities in the constituency while still on the payroll of the government.
During the course of the trail, Indira Gandhi attained the dubious distinction of becoming the first India Prime Minister to be cross-examined as an accused in a High Court. On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices. Sinha declared the outcome of election in Rae Bareilly constituency "null and void", and barred Indira from holding elected office for six years. He had found Indira guilty of misusing government machinery. The court order gave the Congress party twenty days to make arrangements to replace Indira Gandhi in her official posts. Indira Gandhi challenged the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court delivered the verdict on 24 June 1975, upholding the High Court judgement and ordering that all privileges Indira Gandhi received as an MP be stopped, and that she be debarred from voting.
Indira Gandhi then asked the President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, to declare emergency, and state of Internal Emergency was declared on the next day, 25th June 1975. The reason cited was that political disorder was a threat to national security. Raj Narain was arrested and put in jail, along with other opposition party leaders like Jayprakash Narayan, Vajpayee, and Advani. Using sweeping powers granted by the emergency decree, thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested, press censorship was introduced and elections were postponed. During this period, Congress party amended the Indian Constitution and overwrote the law that Indira Gandhi had been found guilty of violating. As the constitution requires, Indira Gandhi advised continuation of Emergency over every six-month period and the compliant President Fakruddin Ahmed approved it every time.
In Januray 1977 Indira Gandhi decided to hold elections. Voting was conducted between 16th and 19th March. Counting of votes was done on 20th March. The Congress party faced a historic defeat, with its seats tally coming down from 350 in 1971 to 153 in 1977. The Janata Party alliance won a landslide majority with 345 seats, winning close to 52% of total votes polled. Raj Narian contested again from Rae Bareli constituency against Indira Gandhi, and defeated Indira Gandhi by more than 55,000 votes. Emergency was officially ended the next day, 21st March 1977.
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