New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) BJP president Nitin Nabin on Thursday attacked the Congress on the anniversary of the Emergency, saying it was a dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy and the Congress has not yet offered an “unconditional apology” to the nation for it.
The Emergency was imposed in India from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, under Article 352 of the Constitution, giving overriding powers to the executive and bringing state authority under central control.
In a series of posts in Hindi on X, Nabin said the Emergency was a dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy, during which an attempt was made to “crush the soul of the Constitution”.
“On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court had declared the election of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi illegal. After this, priority was given not to national interest but to the interest of power,” the BJP chief said.
“To save the chair of one person, the freedom of the entire country was held hostage and an attempt was made to crush the constitutional values and democratic dignity established by Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar,” he added.
Nabin said the Congress constantly blames the Modi government for various reasons, including its election losses.
“If Parliament doesn’t function, it is the government’s fault. If (Congress is) defeated in elections, it is the system’s fault. If the public doesn’t support (Congress), it is the institutions’ fault. The biggest question is why has the party that invokes the Constitution not yet offered an unconditional apology to the country for the Emergency,” the BJP chief said.
“If there truly was concern for the Constitution, the first thing would have been to seek forgiveness from the country for the crime of murdering democracy,” he added.
Former prime minister Indira Gandhi announced the imposition of the Emergency in an All India Radio broadcast, shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay on an Allahabad High Court order declaring her election to the Lok Sabha null and void.
The 21 months of the Emergency are known for forced mass sterilizations, censorship of the press and suspension of constitutional rights.
Since 2025, the Modi government has been observing the anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’. PTI PK DIV DIV
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