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On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the opportunity on Tuesday to strongly criticize the Congress party, accusing it of undermining democratic values and "turning the country into a jail". He also ridiculed Congress, asserting that it had no moral authority to "profess their love" for the Constitution.
The Emergency, declared on June 25, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of the Congress, resulted in the suspension of civil liberties, the imprisonment of opposition leaders and dissidents, and the imposition of press censorship. This state of emergency lasted for 21 months, ending in 1977.
In a tweet, PM Modi honored those who "resisted" the Emergency, reflecting on the "dark days" when the Congress party "subverted basic freedoms and trampled the Constitution". He stated, "Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India, which every Indian respects greatly."
PM Modi accused the Congress government of the time of disregarding democratic principles purely to maintain power, saying, "Just to cling on to power, the then Congress Government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections."
In his attack on the Congress over allegations of attacking the Constitution, PM Modi argued that the party had no right to "profess their love" for the Constitution. He remarked, "Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution."
He further criticized the Congress, suggesting that the mindset which led to the Emergency is still present in the party. "The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again," he added.
BJP Leaders Speak Out on the Emergency:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, aligning his criticism with the Emergency, accused the Congress of repeatedly "killing" democracy. "Congress has a long history of killing democracy and repeatedly attacking it. The Emergency imposed by Congress on this day in 1975 is the biggest example of this. The arrogant and autocratic Congress government had suspended all kinds of civil rights in the country for 21 months for the sake of power of one family," he tweeted in Hindi. He also commended those who resisted the Emergency, saying, "I salute the struggle of countless satyagrahis, social workers, workers, farmers, youth, and women who protested from Parliament to the streets against the Emergency."
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the Emergency as a "dark chapter" in Indian democracy. "Exactly 49 years ago, Emergency was imposed in India by the then Congress government. Emergency is a dark chapter in the history of our country's democracy which cannot be forgotten even if one wants to. The way the misuse of power and the open game of dictatorship was played during that time, raises a big question mark on the commitment of many political parties towards democracy," he tweeted in Hindi. He emphasized the enduring impact of those who fought for democracy, "If democracy is still alive in this country today, the credit goes to those people who struggled to restore democracy, went to jail, and had to undergo so much physical and mental torture. The coming generations of India will remember their struggle and their contribution in protecting democracy."
Union Health Minister JP Nadda echoed similar sentiments, condemning the Congress for its actions during the Emergency. "June 25, 1975 - this is the day the Congress Party's politically driven decision to impose a state of emergency shook the very pillars of our democracy and tried to trample over the Constitution given by Dr (Babasaheb) Ambedkar," he said. He criticized the Congress for suppressing dissent, stating, "During this period, those who today claim to be guardians of Indian democracy left no effort to suppress voices raised in defense of constitutional values." Nadda praised the sacrifices made by those who resisted the Emergency, "Today, we reflect on the sacrifices made by our great heroes who bravely stood as preservers of democracy during the #DarkDaysOfEmergency. I am proud that our party belongs to that tradition which resisted the Emergency tooth and nail and worked to protect democracy."
The first day of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed a heated exchange between PM Modi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over the imposition of the Emergency, highlighting the enduring political and historical significance of this period.
