Centre to observe June 25 as "Samvidhan Hatya Diwas" in remembrance of 1975 Emergency; Opposition targets govt

New Delhi [India], July 12 : The Centre on Friday announced it would observe June 25 as "Constitution Murder Day" in remembrance of the 1975 Emergency. The decision has triggered a backlash with opposition parties targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
PM Modi referred to the 1975 Emergency as a "dark phase of Indian history" and announced that June 25 will be commemorated annually as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas to honour those who suffered during that time.
In a post on X, he wrote, "To observe 25th June as #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas will serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution of India was trampled over. It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency, as Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history".
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the day would serve as a reminder of the significant sacrifices endured by those who faced the severe hardships of the 1975 Emergency, highlighting their immense contributions.
"On 25 June 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, showing her dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of Indian democracy by imposing an emergency in the country. Lakhs of people were jailed without any reason and the voice of the media was suppressed. The Government of India has decided to celebrate 25 June every year as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas', Shah wrote in a post on X.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Congress party is murdering the Constitution and then stages a drama by holding a copy of the Constitution. It is a wrong thing. Those who were persecuted in 1975... the kind of torture done by the Congress party on the innocent people, putting an end to civil rights, freedom of the press, expression, all was finished. To avoid such incidents, (the government has) taken a big step".
Reacting to the announcement, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X, "Yet another headline grabbing exercise in hypocrisy by the non-biological PM who had imposed an undeclared Emergency for 10 long years before the people of India handed him a decisive personal, political, and moral defeat on June 4, 2024 which will go down in history as ModiMukti Diwas".
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on 'X' on Friday, "In the last 10 years, your government has celebrated "Constitution Murder Day" every day. You have snatched away the self-respect of every poor and deprived section of the country every moment."
Reacting to the Centre's announcement, the ruling Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said at a press conference that the BJP is trying to divert attention from its anti-people policy.
"She has been criticized. Indira Gandhi lost once and she came back to power as the Prime Minister. So that chapter was just one page of history and years later, the BJP is trying to divert attention from its anti-people policy, disasters and the bad condition of the country, they are trying to play this old card," Ghosh said.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs made the announcement in a gazette notification pointing "a proclamation of Emergency was made on 25th June 1975, following which there was gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities".
The notification reads "Whereas, people of India have abiding faith in the Constitution of India and the power of India's resilient democracy; Therefore, Government of India declares 25 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".
The Emergency of 1975 in India stands as a stark chapter in the nation's history marked by widespread political turmoil and civil liberties suppression. Declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Emergency saw the suspension of fundamental rights and the imposition of strict censorship, aiming to quell political dissent and maintain order.