New Delhi: On the 50th anniversary of 1975 Emergency on Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as "prime example of their shenanigans."
Terming it one of the darkest chapters in India's democratic history, Prime Minister Modi said the imposition of the Emergency by the Congress not only violated the spirit of the Constitution but placed "democracy under arrest".
Taking to social media website X, PM Modi in a series of posts said, "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. The 42nd Amendment is a prime example of their shenanigans. The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, including their dignity insulted."
Fifty years ago, between 25 June 1975 and 21 March 1977, Indira Gandhi's government unleashed a wave of repression, imprisoning lakhs of people without justification and muzzling the media. The Emergency stripped citizens of their fundamental rights and undermined the country's democratic fabric.
PM Modi accused the then-Congress government of violating the Constitution's spirit, suspending fundamental rights, extinguishing press freedom, and jailing political leaders, social workers, students, and citizens.
PM Modi's post read, "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. 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!"
On 25 June 1975, then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed issued the Emergency proclamation under Article 352, citing threats from internal disturbance. The Emergency was declared in a backdrop of mounting political unrest and judicial developments that shook the legitimacy of the ruling leadership.
The decision followed a press note from the government accusing individuals of provoking the police and armed forces to defy orders.
It marked the third Emergency in India's history, but the first one declared in peacetime. Earlier proclamations were during wars with China (1962) and Pakistan (1971).
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