PM attacks Congress on Emergency’s 50th mark

NO native american testament ever so leave the excesses imposed during the pinch when the spirit of the Constitution was violated and ordinary citizens jailed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday as he took shots at the Congress on the 50th anniversary of the dark period.The Union Cabinet, presided by Modi, adopted a resolution against the Emergency and resolved to commemorate and honour the sacrifices of countless individuals who resisted the measure. It also observed a two-minute silence as a mark of tribute to them.“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,” Modi said on X.“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!” he added.Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency on June 25, 1975 after an Allahabad high court voided her election from Rae Bareli in 1971 on account of electoral malpractices, and the Supreme Court refused to fully suspend the landmark decision. The 21-month-long period was marked by repression and the jailing of political dissidents, and culminated in a resounding electoral defeat for Gandhi and the first non-Congress government at the Centre.Modi said that during the Emergency, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom extinguished and a large number of political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens jailed. “The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, including their dignity insulted,” he said.Saluting every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency, 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.“It was their collective struggle that ensured that the then Congress government had to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which they badly lost,” he said.Later in the day, Union home minister Amit Shah released a book – The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader – that highlighted Modi’s role in the fight against Emergency, with a foreword by former PM HD Deve Gowda.Modi worked underground as a 24-year-old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker disguised as a sadhu, a sardarji, a hippie, an incense stick seller and a newspaper vendor. His assigned tasks, given by senior RSS figures, included translating and distributing banned literature, delivering messages to jailed leaders, providing logistical and financial support to imprisoned activists’ families, and organising covert meetings, all under a strict mandate to avoid arrest, the book said.“When the Emergency was imposed, I was a young RSS pracharak. The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum,” he posted on X.The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government observes June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas,’ as a reminder of how civil liberties, press freedom and other rights were curbed and the provisions of the Constitution sidestepped.“Forgetting bitter events may seem right in personal life, but when it concerns the nation’s life, such darkness must be remembered forever,” Shah said at the book release event. He also explained the government’s position. “Some felt ‘Constitution Murder Day’ sounded too harsh. But after deliberation, we chose it because... Only harsh words can convey that era’s truth,” he added.Earlier in the day, Modi said his government remained committed to strengthening the principles of the Constitution and working together to realise the vision of a Viksit Bharat (developed India). “May we scale new heights of progress and fulfil the dreams of the poor and downtrodden...” he said.In the Cabinet, the members paid tributes to the courage and valiance of ordinary citizens who stood up to the Emergency’s excesses. “The year 2025 marks 50 years of the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas - an unforgettable chapter in the history of India where the Constitution was subverted, the Republic and democratic spirit of India was attacked, federalism was undermined, and fundamental rights, human liberty and dignity were suspended,” the cabinet resolution said.“The Union Cabinet reaffirmed that the people of India continue to repose unflinching faith in the Indian Constitution and the resilience of the country’s democratic ethos. It is as important for the young as it is for the old to draw inspiration from those who resisted dictatorial tendencies and stood firm to defend our Constitution and its democratic fabric,” it added.Referring to India as the mother of Democracy, the resolution noted that the nation stood as an example of “preserving, protecting and safeguarding constitutional values.”Hitting back at Modi over his remarks, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that “an undeclared emergency” is prevailing in the country for the last 11 years and accused the BJP of staging a “drama” of observing ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to hide governance failure. Kharge said if there is any threat to democracy and the Constitution, it is from the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.“It [the Emergency] was something people had forgotten and they are now raking it up to hide their own failures... These people failed in governance and their failure is such that people are concerned over inflation, the government has no answer to unemployment, corruption and economic failure. To hide their lies and failure they have staged this drama,” Kharge said.