Emergency Anniversary: PM Modi Recalls 'Dark Days', Shah Says 'On This Day in 1975, A Family...'

On anniversary of the declaration of Emergency on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to those who “resisted” it and said those ”dark days” remain an unforgettable period in our history, totally opposite to the values India’s Constitution celebrates.

Emergency was imposed on this day in 1975 by the then Congress government led by prime minister Indira Gandhi.

“I pay homage to all those courageous people who resisted the Emergency and worked to strengthen our democratic spirit,” PM Modi, who is currently on a state visit to Egypt, tweeted.

”The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remain an unforgettable period in our history, totally opposite to the values our Constitution celebrates,” the prime minister said.

Other leaders also tweeted on the anniversary of declaration of Emergency on Sunday. Home Minister Amit Shah said on this day in 1975, “a family had imposed emergency on the country by taking away the rights of the people and killing democracy, fearing to lose power from their hands.”

“The Emergency imposed for its own power-interest is a symbol of dictatorial mentality of the Congress and a never-ending stigma. In those difficult times, lakhs of people struggled to revive democracy after suffering many tortures. I heartily salute all those patriots,” Shah said in a tweet.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “It was the defining political experience of my generation and a lifelong lesson to strengthen our democratic fabric”.

Last week, in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio programme, the prime minister had described the Emergency as a ”dark period” in India’s history.

He had said that those who supported democracy at that time were tortured and a glance at such crimes endangering the country’s freedom would make it easier for the young generation to understand the meaning and significance of democracy.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said June 25 each year is a reminder of “the murder of democracy in 1975 by the Congress”.

“25 June, each year reminds us of the murder of democracy in 1975 by the @INCIndia. Every institution, including the parliament was trampled upon. Media was completely effaced, human rights was more in its violation,” Sitharaman’s tweet read.

Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal recalled his party’s contribution in the movement against Emergency and said, “The lessons learnt from the darkest phase in our modern history must never be forgotten by the country if democracy has to survive here.”