Calls for 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' Commemoration
New Delhi: Ahead of commemorative events across the country on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency, including a 'Long Live Democracy Yatra', Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday he hit out at the DMK, socialist leaders and others for joining hands with the Congress which had “murdered democracy” by imposing Emergency.
Addressing an event, ‘50 Years Since Emergency’, Shah also said that June 25 — the day Emergency was imposed — reminded everyone how far the Congress could go for power. He said the memories of “injustice, tyranny and dictatorship” of the Congress were still fresh in everyone's mind.
The home minister said after the imposition of Emergency, 1.1 lakh people — Opposition leaders, student activists, journalists, and editors — were arrested across the country. Non-Congress governments in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu were dismissed by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
“Unfortunately, many of those who faced the wrath of the Emergency are aligned with the Congress. I want to ask these parties — DMK, Samajwadi (socialists) and others, rather than the Congress — what right do you have to ask questions about democracy since you have joined hands with the party which murdered democracy in the country.”
Shah said India could not accept dictatorship as the country was the birthplace of democracy.
“No one except a small coterie surrounding the tyrant liked Emergency. That is why when Emergency was lifted, the people of India elected the country's first non-Congress government (at the Centre),” he said.
Sharing his personal experience, the home minister said he was just 11 years old when the Emergency was imposed, and 184 people from his village in Gujarat were arrested and lodged at the Sabarmati jail.
Shah will flag off the flag off ‘Save Democracy Yatra’, which will travel the length and breadth of the country to spread awareness about constitutional values, democratic rights, and the lessons learnt from the Emergency, the culture ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry, in collaboration with the Delhi government, will commemorate 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' on Wednesday at Thyagaraj Stadium here, marking 50 years since the imposition of Emergency in India on June 25, 1975.
“The solemn occasion will serve as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding democratic values and constitutional rights,” it said in a statement.
Underlining that the Emergency remained “one of the darkest chapters” in India's post-independence history, the ministry said, “Fundamental rights were suspended, press freedoms curtailed, and democratic institutions were silenced.”
“In 2024, the Government of India officially notified June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' to ensure that this critical period is not forgotten and the sanctity of democracy is consistently upheld,” it said.
The ministry is also coordinating the launch of the 'Long Live Democracy' exhibition at 50 key locations in each state and UT, which will remain open to the public in the coming weeks, the statement said.
The exhibition will be divided into three curated sections — 'Bharat, Mother of Democracy', showcasing India's ancient and participative democratic traditions; 'Dark Days of Democracy', chronicling the events and consequences of the 1975 Emergency; and 'Strengthening Democracy in India', featuring recent democratic reforms like electoral transparency, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Direct Benefit Transfer, and digital public grievance platforms.
