In a significant announcement, the central government has declared June 25 as “Samvidhaan Hatya Divas” to commemorate the suffering endured by those imprisoned during the Emergency imposed on this date in 1975. The declaration was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who described the Emergency as a time when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi “throttled the soul of Indian democracy” through a display of dictatorial power. Shah’s announcement, made via a post on X (formerly Twitter), emphasized that June 25 would serve as a day to honor the sacrifices of those who faced “inhuman pain” during this period.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorsed Shah’s statement, underscoring that the day would remind the nation of the constitutional violations and excesses during the Emergency, which he termed as “a Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history.” He added that observing June 25 as Samvidhaan Hatya Divas would pay homage to all who suffered due to the Emergency.
The Emergency, which lasted 21 months, was marked by the suspension of civil liberties, censorship of the press, and mass incarcerations of opposition leaders and dissenters. Among those detained were prominent politicians like BJP stalwarts AB Vajpayee and LK Advani, Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Janata Party’s JP Narayan. Even dissenters within the Congress party were not spared.
The announcement comes amid ongoing debates over the Constitution. During the campaign for the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Congress accused PM Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not respecting the Constitution and alleged that the BJP would amend it if given a third consecutive term. The BJP, which secured 240 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, fell short of an outright majority but the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a comfortable majority with 293 seats.
In response, Congress leaders have been vocal about their commitment to the Constitution. During the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Congress members and allies took oaths holding the Constitution. PM Modi countered by stating that the Congress, which had imposed the Emergency, had no moral authority to claim allegiance to the Constitution.
Speaker Om Birla, during a Lok Sabha session marking the 49th anniversary of the Emergency, called it the darkest chapter in India’s history, drawing protests from Congress and its allies.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the announcement as a “headline-grabbing exercise,” accusing PM Modi of undermining the Constitution and its principles. Ramesh referenced the recent electoral defeat of Modi on June 4, 2024, which he labeled as “ModiMukti Diwas.”
Other opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party’s Fakhrul Hasan Chaand, JMM MP Mahua Maji, and RJD’s Manoj Jha, echoed similar sentiments. They accused the BJP of misusing agencies and laws to target opposition leaders and alleged that the current government had also weakened democracy, drawing parallels between the Emergency and contemporary political practices.
