Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that 50 years ago, a nefarious attempt was made to strangle Indian democracy with the imposition of the Emergency, during which civil liberties were suspended and opposition leaders were jailed under the rule of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In a post on X, he called the Emergency “the darkest chapter in Indian democracy”, while paying tribute to those who resisted the authoritarian rule.
“Fifty years ago today, a nefarious attempt was made to strangle Indian democracy through the imposition of the Emergency. People still remember the Emergency as the darkest chapter in Indian democracy. Sidelining the Constitution, the manner in which the Emergency was imposed on the country is a glaring example of the misuse of power and dictatorship. All opposition leaders were sent to jail. There was no constitutional institution left that was not misused. Yet, the democratic traditions of this country could not be erased by the then government, no matter how much they tried,” said Rajnath.
The Union Minister also highlighted the role of those who fought against the Emergency.
“Today, democracy is alive in India, and for this, those who struggled during the Emergency, endured imprisonment, and suffered hardships have made an immense contribution. The future generations of India will never forget their contribution. Prime Minister Shri Modiji has decided to observe June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ so that every citizen remembers how dictatorship attempts to murder democracy,” he added.
In 2024, the Government of India officially notified June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas marking the imposition of Emergency in the country in 1975.
To mark what it calls a moment of serious institutional breakdown in India’s democratic journey, the BJP has planned extensive outreach programmes at the booth and district levels. The aim, according to BJP leaders, is to educate the younger generation about the consequences of authoritarianism and the importance of preserving democratic values.
(With inputs from IANS)