The BJP-led Central government on Friday declared that June 25 will be observed as the Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas to mark the imposition of the Emergency.
The Indira Gandhi-led Congress government imposed the Emergency on June 25, 1975, leading to the suspension of most of the civil rights for over two years.
“A proclamation of Emergency was made on 25th June 1975, following which there was a gross abuse of power by the Government of the day and the people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities,” the government’s notification, shared by home minister Amit Shah, read.
“Therefore, the government of India declares 25th June as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future,” it added.
Amit Shah said the decision made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is intended to honour the spirit of millions “who struggled to revive democracy despite facing inexplicable persecution at the hands of an oppressive government”.
“The observance of ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ will help keep the eternal flame of individual freedom and the defence of our democracy alive in every Indian, thus preventing dictatorial forces like the Congress from repeating those horrors,” he wrote on X.
The minister also accused former PM Indira Gandhi of putting up a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset.
“On June 25, 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced,” he added.
On June 25, PM Modi said those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for the Constitution. His remark came a day after the Opposition staged a protest inside the Lok Sabha by holding out copies of the Constitution.