Marking the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday issued a strong rebuke of the Congress government that imposed it, accusing it of dismantling democratic institutions and suppressing civil liberties. Observing the day as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day), PM Modi also paid homage to those who resisted what he called one of the darkest periods in India’s democratic history.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, the Prime Minister wrote: “We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency! These were people from all walks of life and ideologies who came together to protect India’s democratic fabric and uphold the ideals of our freedom fighters.”
Modi noted that it was the collective resistance of these individuals that ultimately forced the then-Congress government to lift the Emergency and call for elections—elections in which it was “badly defeated.”
Recalling the Emergency period, which lasted from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, Modi said that lakhs were jailed, media was muzzled, fundamental rights suspended, and institutions silenced under Indira Gandhi’s regime. He termed the period a “power grab” under the guise of internal unrest, adding: “It was as if the Congress Government at the time had placed democracy under arrest.”
The Prime Minister also emphasized that the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, enacted during the Emergency, stands as evidence of Congress’s attempts to undermine the Constitution.
In a forward-looking note, PM Modi reaffirmed his government’s commitment to constitutional values and inclusive progress: “We reiterate our commitment to strengthening the principles in our Constitution and working together to realise our vision of a Viksit Bharat (developed India).”
The Emergency was the third in India’s history, but the first declared in peacetime—previous proclamations in 1962 and 1971 were during wartime. This Emergency was declared under Article 352 by then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, following political turbulence and a damning court ruling against Indira Gandhi’s 1971 election victory.
The day continues to be observed by the BJP and other political groups as a reminder of the need to safeguard democratic values and institutional integrity.