No Indian Will Ever Forget How Spirit Of Constitution Was Violated: PM Modi On Emergency

New Delhi: As the country marked the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday termed it as “one of the darkest chapters” in India's democratic history. Observing "Samvidhan Hatya Diwas", the ruling BJP called the imposing of Emergency by then PM Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, the "biggest assault on democracy" and reminded the Congress and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi that they have not apologised for violating the spirit of the Constitution.

The Modi government last year decided to mark June 25, when the Emergency was imposed in 1975, as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. Insisting that no Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of the Constitution was violated during the Emergency, the Prime Minister affirmed his government's commitment to strengthen the constitutional principles.

In a series of posts on X, Mr Modi said the values enshrined in the Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights suspended, press freedom extinguished and a large number of political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens jailed during the 21-month period.

“It was as if the Congress government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest,” said Mr Modi.

The 42nd Amendment, which made extensive changes to the Constitution and was reversed by the Janata Party government, is a prime example of the shenanigans of the Congress government that imposed Emergency, Mr Modi said.

Saluting those who fought against the Emergency, Mr Modi said these were the “people from all over India, from all walks of life, from diverse ideologies who worked closely with each other with one aim — to protect India's democratic fabric and to preserve the ideals for which freedom fighters devoted their lives.” He said it was the collective struggle of those people that ensured that the then Congress government had to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which they badly lost.

Pointing out that the Emergency was imposed by a “despotic ruler” whose sole aim was to preserve her dynastic rule, Union home minister Amit Shah said he is proud to be associated with a “movement that stood up against this tyranny and with a leader who fearlessly raised his voice to protect Bharat's democracy and its Constitution”.

Mr Shah, who was just 11 years old in 1975, said he was a "Bal Swayamsevak" of the RSS then and heard firsthand the excesses and injustices during the dark days of the Emergency.

Mr Shah said the Emergency was not a national necessity but a reflection of the anti-democratic mentality of the Congress and just "one person", a reference to then PM Indira Gandhi.

"This day tells us that when power becomes dictatorial, the people have the power to overthrow it," Mr Shah said in another post on X in Hindi.

Slamming the Congress, BJP president and Union minister J.P. Nadda said the party which imposed the Emergency continues to have the same dictatorial mindset that was behind the imposition and is still unable to reconcile to the idea of a person from a humble background, like Narendra Modi, as the Prime Minister.

“ While Mr Gandhi and the Congress cite the Constitution, the Opposition party has still not apologised for the Emergency, the 21-month period between June 1975 and March 1977 during which (then) Opposition leaders were jailed, the press censored and civil liberties suspended by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi… Undemocratic amendments were introduced to the Constitution and its soul was distorted,” said Mr Nadda.