Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is observing the day as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’ (Constitution Murder Day), with senior leaders launching scathing attacks on the Congress Party for what they call one of the darkest chapters in Indian democracy.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, in a strong statement, called the Emergency-era observance a “Waterloo” for Congress, referring to the historical defeat of Napoleon as a metaphor for the party’s political downfall due to the Emergency.
Recalling his personal experience from 1975, Khandelwal said, “When people were imprisoned and brought to court, they used to sing: ‘Hathkadiyon ki jhankar sune, jantantra ki lalkaar suno’ (Hear the clinking of handcuffs, hear the roar of democracy). Those words still echo in my ears. ‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’ has certainly proven to be a Waterloo for Congress.”
The Emergency was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, following political unrest and a court ruling questioning the validity of her 1971 election. The period saw widespread suspension of civil liberties, press censorship, mass arrests, and controversial sterilization campaigns.
On June 24, Union Home Minister Amit Shah honoured Sumita Arya, a survivor of the Emergency, by presenting her a copy of the Constitution. At an event at the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, Arya recounted her ordeal of being jailed along with three children and eight other family members.
“Democracy was being murdered. Indira Gandhi acted only in her self-interest. We were jailed without rights. Food was scarce and of terrible quality,” Arya told ANI.
Addressing the gathering, Amit Shah stated that the Emergency was not triggered by national security threats but was imposed to protect Indira Gandhi’s hold on power after the Allahabad High Court found her guilty of electoral malpractice.
Shah added, “There was no external threat, no internal unrest. It was all to save one person’s position. That single decision suppressed the voices of millions.”
The Emergency ended in 1977, leading to the Congress party’s first-ever electoral defeat, and the rise of a non-Congress government under Morarji Desai, supported by the Jana Sangh—the ideological predecessor to the BJP.
As political discourse heats up around the 50th anniversary, the BJP continues to use the occasion to highlight what it sees as the Congress party’s authoritarian legacy, while reaffirming its commitment to democratic values and constitutional governance.
