Darkest Chapters Of India's History: PM Modi Slams Congress On Emergency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called the Emergency imposed by the late Indira Government as one of the darkest chapters in India's democratic history.

PM Modi On Emergency

As the country marked 50 years of Emergency, the Prime Minister said that the citizens observe the day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. In a post on X, he said, "On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished and several political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens were jailed. It was as if the Congress Government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest!"

PM Modi stated that Indian will never forget how the spirit of our Constitution was violated and the voice of Parliament muzzled while attempts were made to control the courts. The 42nd Amendment is a prime example of their shenanigans. The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, including their dignity insulted, he added.

He continued, "We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency! These were the people from all over India, from all walks of life, from diverse ideologies who worked closely with each other with one aim: to protect India's democratic fabric and to preserve the ideals for which our freedom fighters devoted their lives.

The Prime Minister criticised the Congress for the imposition of the Emergency in 1975, which eventually led to its defeat in the next elections. "It was their collective struggle that ensured that the then Congress Government had to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which they badly lost."

"We also reiterate our commitment to strengthening the principles in our Constitution and working together to realise our vision of a Viksit Bharat. May we scale new heights of progress and fulfil the dreams of the poor and downtrodden."

PM Modi announced a book on Emergency titled 'The Emergency Diaries' which chronicles his journey during the Emergency years.

A Book On PM Modi's Journey During Emergency

On the book, he said, "It brought back many memories from that time. I call upon all those who remember those dark days of the Emergency or those whose families suffered during that time to share their experiences on social media. It will create awareness among the youth of the shameful time from 1975 to 1977."

BlueKraft Digital Foundation has released the book for which former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has penned the foreword.

The Prime Minister noted that he was an young RSS pracharak when the Congress government imposed Emergency. "The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum. I am glad that BlueKraft Digital Foundation has compiled some of those experiences in the form of a book, whose foreword has been penned by Shri HD Deve Gowda Ji, himself a stalwart of the anti-Emergency movement," he concluded.