Raipur, Jun 25 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday said observing ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to mark the 1975 Emergency would serve as a reminder to the younger generation of a “dark chapter” in India’s democratic history that must never be forgotten.
Between June 25, 1975 and March 21, 1977, India was placed under a state of Emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution.
Since 2025, the Narendra Modi government has been observing the day as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’.
In a post on X, Sai said, “June 25, 1975 -a dark day for Indian democracy when the Congress government under the leadership of (then prime minister) Indira Gandhi, driven by the arrogance of power, crushed the spirit of the Constitution and imposed Emergency on the entire nation.” During the Emergency, thousands of “loktantra senani” (MISA detainees), journalists and political workers were jailed under laws such as the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), he noted.
“Every effort was made to suppress their voices, but their courage remained unshaken,” Sai said.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to designate June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ was a true tribute to those who fought against the Emergency.
“It will remind the new generation of that dark chapter which we can never forget,” he said.
The chief minister also said that his government in Chhattisgarh had restored the honour of “loktantra senanis” by reinstating the financial assistance scheme that had been discontinued by the previous Congress government and by clearing pending dues.
The Chhattisgarh Loktantra Senani Samman Vidheyak-2025 was passed in the state, providing legal protection to the recognition and welfare of democracy activists, he noted.
“Let us all pay our respects to the Loktantra Senani and renew our resolve to protect the Constitution,” Sai said. PTI TKP GK
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