Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, 25 June 2026, marked Samvidhan Hatya Diwas by condemning the 1975 Emergency as a dark chapter in Indian democratic history, accusing the Indian National Congress and Indira Gandhi of attempting to crush the Constitution, press freedom, and the right to expression.

In his post on X, Shah wrote: '25 जून 1975 भारतीय लोकतंत्र के इतिहास का वह काला अध्याय है' — '25 June 1975 is that dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy, when the arrogance and greed for power of Indira Gandhi and the Congress Party attempted to crush the soul of the Constitution, press freedom, and the right to expression.' He paid tribute to all those who fought against the Emergency to protect democratic values, calling them 'लोकतंत्र के सेनानी' — 'soldiers of democracy.'

Context

On 25 June 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi advised the proclamation of a national Emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution. The Emergency remained in force for 21 months, until March 1977. During this period, fundamental rights were suspended, the press was subjected to censorship, and opposition leaders were arrested across the country.

The period remains one of the most contested episodes in post-independence Indian political history, with civil liberties groups and constitutional scholars continuing to cite it as a reference point for institutional safeguards.

Policy Backdrop

The Modi government designated 25 June as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas — 'Constitution Murder Day' — to institutionalise annual remembrance of the Emergency and resistance to it. Shah stated that the purpose of this observance is 'to keep this dark chapter alive in the nation's memory and to ensure that the Congress Party can never again inflict such a blow on democracy and the Constitution.'

The BJP has consistently invoked the 1975 Emergency in public discourse on constitutional safeguards, using its anniversary to contrast its own governance record with that of the Congress-led government of that era.

Stakeholders and Impact

The observance is aimed at citizens, students, and institutions as a reminder of what the government frames as a constitutional crisis. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have in past years contested the framing, arguing that the designation is politically motivated rather than a genuine commemorative exercise.

Civil liberties groups have long maintained independent records of Emergency-era detentions and press restrictions, and the annual observance renews public debate on those events.

What's Next

Government programmes and public events are expected to mark Samvidhan Hatya Diwas across the country on 25 June each year. Any proposed curriculum additions or memorial initiatives linked to the observance will be closely watched by educators, historians, and political observers alike.

With the BJP continuing to position the Emergency as a defining cautionary moment in Indian democratic history, the anniversary is likely to remain a fixture in the party's political calendar and in broader national discourse on constitutional resilience.