PM Modi Recalls Emergency as ‘Dark Chapter’, Says It Was a Defining Learning Experience
On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by the then Congress government in 1975, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reflected on what he called one of the “darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.” In a series of posts on X, Modi paid tribute to those who resisted the Emergency and said the experience was a formative moment in his life and political journey.
“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,” the Prime Minister wrote, referring to the day when the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975.
During the 21-month period, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was abolished, and thousands of political leaders, students, and citizens were jailed. “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,” he said. The Prime Minister strongly criticised the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which he termed an example of constitutional misuse under the Congress government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) observes June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas to remind citizens of the importance of constitutional freedoms and the dangers of authoritarianism. Modi, who at the time was a full-time volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was actively involved in the anti-Emergency movement, which brought together leaders from various ideologies to resist government overreach.
Paying homage to those who fought for democracy, Modi said, “We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency… 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.”
The Prime Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to upholding the Constitution and protecting the democratic values enshrined in it. He called on citizens to remember the past to safeguard India’s future.
