The Emergency, the 50th anniversary of which is being marked on Wednesday, is an event that will never be forgotten, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. He led the Union Cabinet in passing a resolution, vowing to commemorate and honour the sacrifices of those who fought against the suspension of democratic rights, and the Constitution.
The Union Cabinet observed a two-minute silence as a tribute to the victims of the Emergency, which was declared on June 25, 1975.
2025 marked 50 years of the 鈥楽amvidhan Hatya Diwas鈥 (鈥楥onstitution murder day鈥) as it is now being marked by the government, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, briefing media after the Cabinet meeting.
鈥淚t is as important for the young as it is for the old to draw inspiration from those who resisted dictatorial tendencies and stood firm to defend our Constitution and its democratic fabric,鈥 Mr. Vaishnaw said.
In a series of posts on social media platform X on Wednesday, Mr. Modi affirmed his government鈥檚 commitment to strengthening Constitutional principles. No Indian would 鈥渆ver forget the manner in which the spirit of the Constitution was violated during the Emergency,鈥 the PM said. It was one of the darkest chapters in India鈥檚 democratic history, he added.
The values enshrined in the Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights suspended, press freedom extinguished, and a large number of political leaders, social workers, students, and ordinary citizens were jailed, Mr. Modi said.
鈥淚t was as if the Congress government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest,鈥 he said.
The 42nd Amendment, which made extensive changes to the Constitution, and was reversed by the Janata Party government that came next, 鈥渋s a prime example of the shenanigans of the Congress government that imposed the Emergency,鈥 Mr. Modi said.
The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, and their dignity insulted, the PM said. Saluting every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency, Mr. Modi said they were from all over India, all walks of life, and from diverse ideologies, working closely with each other with one aim 鈥 鈥渢o protect India鈥檚 democratic fabric and to preserve the ideals for which freedom fighters devoted their lives鈥.
鈥淚t was their collective struggle that ensured that the then Congress government had to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which they (the Congress) badly lost,鈥 Mr. Modi said.