As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) observes the 50th anniversary of the emergency as the ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recalled the “painful chapter” of independent India’s history, when he said rights were suspended and accountability was set aside and termed it a powerful reminded of the collective duty of people to safeguard values and uphold the resilience of Indian democracy.
In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, “On #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas, we recall a painful chapter of independent India’s history, when institutions were undermined, rights were suspended and accountability was set aside. It also remains a powerful reminder of our collective duty to safeguard constitutional values and uphold the resilience of Indian democracy.”
50 years ago, between 25 June 1975 and 21 March 1977, Indira Gandhi’s government unleashed a wave of repression, imprisoning lakhs of people without justification and muzzling the media. The Emergency stripped citizens of their fundamental rights and undermined the country’s democratic fabric.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the emergency as “prime example of their shenanigans.” Terming it one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, he said the imposition of the Emergency by the Congress not only violated the spirit of the Constitution but placed “democracy under arrest”.
In a series of posts on X, PM Modi stated, “No Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of our Constitution was violated, the voice of Parliament muzzled and attempts were made to control the courts. The 42nd Amendment is a prime example of their shenanigans. The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, including their dignity insulted.”
PM Modi accused the then-Congress government of violating the Constitution’s spirit, suspending fundamental rights, extinguishing press freedom, and jailing political leaders, social workers, students, and citizens.
In his post on X, PM Modi stated, “Today marks fifty years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished and several political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens were jailed. It was as if the Congress Government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest!”
On 25 June 1975, then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed issued the Emergency Proclamation under Article 352, citing threats from internal disturbance. The Emergency was declared against a backdrop of mounting political unrest and judicial developments that shook the legitimacy of the ruling leadership. (ANI)
