'Common people harassed during Emergency': HD Kumaraswamy on observance of June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'

New Delhi [India], July 13 : Backing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led central government's decision to observe June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas', Union Minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) leader HD Kumaraswamy attacked the Congress, saying that common people were harassed during Emergency.
Yesterday, the central government declared to observe June 25, the date on which Emergency was imposed in the country in 1975 under the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi-led Congress government, as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'.
"During the Emergency, common people were harassed while Indira Gandhi was running the government. Based on that, the present government has decided to observe June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'", Kumaraswamy told reporters in Delhi.
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 a 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.
It has also triggered sharp reactions from the opposition.
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.
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.