Modi, Amit Shah slam Congress on 46th Emergency anniversary

• Shubham
• 25 June, 2021

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By: Shubham Ghosh

PRIME minister Narendra Modi on Friday (25) recalled the Emergency on the 46th anniversary of its imposition saying the “dark days of Emergency” can never be forgotten. The Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, by then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi and it continued till March 21, 1977.

Modi took to Twitter to say that India will never forget the dark days of the Emergency. In a post, he wrote, “The #DarkDaysOfEmergency can never be forgotten. The period from 1975 to 1977 witnessed a systematic destruction of institutions. Let us pledge to do everything possible to strengthen India’s democratic spirit, and live up to the values enshrined in our Constitution.”

He then attacked the opposition Congress over the Emergency era saying it was how the current opposition party had trampled over India’s democratic ethos. He remembered “those greats who resisted the Emergency and protected Indian democracy”.

Emergency to quell voices against one family: Shah
Earlier, Indian home minister Amit Shah also tweeted on the anniversary of the Emergency and said it was imposed to quell the voices against one family and called it a dark chapter in the history of independent India.

“Salute to the sacrifice and sacrifice of all the countrymen who fought relentlessly for the protection of the constitution and democracy of the country while suffering the brutal tortures of the ruthless rule for 21 months,” he said.

In another post, Shah said the Congress had “killed the world’s largest democracy by imposing Emergency on the country in the interest and arrogance of power”. He said the fundamental rights of the citizens were taken away and the Parliament and the court were made mute spectators.

The Emergency was officially issued by then Indian president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution due to “internal disturbance”.

Indira Gandhi faced defeat in the elections that were held in March 1977, marking the end of the Congress’s three decades of continuous rule at the Centre.