Shimla, June 26 -- Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday addressed youth participants at a Mock Parliament session in Shimla, urging them to embrace the spirit of democratic debate and understand the vibrancy of India's parliamentary democracy, while also reflecting on the lessons from the Emergency era of 1975.

"Democracy must remain alive and active. In a parliamentary system, if there is no voice, it's a form of silence. And silence is dangerous in a democracy," Rijiju said while speaking to the students.

He reminded the audience of the 1975 Emergency, saying it was a time when the Constitution and all democratic institutions were suspended, and all power was concentrated in the hands of one person.

"During ...