Today, On 25th June, During the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Prime Minister Modi criticized the Congress for the 1975 Emergency, accusing them of undermining democracy and transforming the nation into a prison. He asserted that the Congress has no right to claim they uphold the Constitution.
New Delhi: On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress on Tuesday, accusing the party of disregarding democratic principles and “turning the country into a jail.” He also remarked that the party had no right to “profess their love” for the Constitution.
On June 25, 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, declared Emergency in India. During this period, civil liberties suspended, opposition leaders and dissidents imprisoned, and press censorship enforced. The Emergency lasted for 21 months until 1977.
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In a tweet, PM Modi paid tribute to those who “resisted” the Emergency and stated that the “dark days” reminded people of how the Congress “subverted basic freedoms and trampled the Constitution.”
He stated,
“Today, we honor all those courageous men and women who stood against the Emergency. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us how the Congress Party undermined basic freedoms and violated the Constitution of India, which is held in high regard by every Indian,”
He tweeted,
“To maintain their hold on power, the Congress Government at the time disregarded democratic principles and turned the nation into a prison. Anyone who opposed Congress was tortured and harassed, and socially regressive policies were used to target the most vulnerable,”
Criticizing the Congress for accusations of attacking the Constitution, PM Modi claimed the party had destroyed federalism and had no right to “profess their love” for the Constitution.
He remarked,
“Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to claim their love for our Constitution. These are the same individuals who invoked Article 356 numerous times, introduced a bill to undermine press freedom, destroyed federalism, and violated every aspect of the Constitution,”
He added,
“The mentality that led to the imposition of the Emergency still persists in the same party that imposed it. They mask their contempt for the Constitution with token gestures, but the people of India have seen through their actions, which is why they have been consistently rejected,”
Building on the criticism of the Emergency, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress of repeatedly undermining democracy.
He tweeted in Hindi,
“Congress has a long history of undermining democracy. The Emergency imposed by Congress on this day in 1975 is the most significant example. The arrogant and autocratic Congress government suspended all civil rights in the country for 21 months to maintain the power of one family,”
He added,
“The mentality that led to the imposition of the Emergency still exists within the same party that enforced it. They disguise their disdain for the Constitution with superficial gestures, but the people of India have recognized their true intentions, which is why they have been repeatedly rejected,”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, building on the critique of the Emergency, accused the Congress of persistently undermining democracy.
He tweeted in Hindi,
“Congress has a long history of sabotaging democracy. The Emergency imposed by Congress on this day in 1975 is the most glaring example. The arrogant and autocratic Congress government suspended all civil rights in the country for 21 months to preserve the power of one family,”
He said,
“If democracy is still alive in this country today, the credit goes to those who struggled to restore it, endured imprisonment, and faced immense physical and mental torture. Future generations of India will remember their fight and their contribution to protecting democracy,”
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Echoing similar sentiments, Union Health Minister JP Nadda criticized the Congress, stating that the party, which claimed to be the guardians of democracy, left no stone unturned in suppressing the voices of those defending the Constitution.
He said,
“June 25, 1975, marks the day when the Congress Party’s politically motivated decision to impose a state of Emergency shook the very foundations of our democracy and attempted to trample on the Constitution given by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,”
He added,
“During this period, those who now claim to be the guardians of Indian democracy made every effort to suppress voices raised in defence of constitutional values,”
Nadda further stated,
“Today, we honour the sacrifices of our great heroes who courageously stood as defenders of democracy during the #DarkDaysOfEmergency. I am proud that our party belongs to the tradition that fiercely resisted the Emergency and worked to protect democracy,”
The first day of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday saw a heated exchange between PM Modi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over the imposition of the Emergency.