Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday, 25 June 2026, marked Samvidhan Hatya Diwas by sharply attacking the Indian National Congress, accusing the party of shredding constitutional values in its hunger for power.

Posting on X, CM Dhami wrote in Hindi: 'Satta ki bhookh mein Congress ne Samvidhan ki maryadaon ko taar-taar kar diya' — 'In its hunger for power, Congress tore apart the dignity of the Constitution' — attaching the hashtag #SamvidhanHatyaDiwas.

Context

25 June marks the anniversary of the declaration of the National Emergency of 1975, one of the most contested episodes in independent India's political history. On that date, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed a national emergency on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, suspending fundamental rights and concentrating executive authority in the hands of the central government for nearly 21 months, until March 1977.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has in recent years formally designated 25 June as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas — literally 'Constitution Murder Day' — framing the Emergency as Congress's gravest assault on democratic institutions and constitutional norms.

Policy Backdrop

The Emergency period saw the suspension of civil liberties, the detention of political opponents, press censorship, and the passage of constitutional amendments that critics argued centralised power. These events remain a reference point in Indian political discourse whenever questions of institutional integrity arise.

BJP has consistently used the anniversary as an occasion to contrast its own governance record with what it describes as Congress's authoritarian legacy. CM Dhami's post fits squarely within this sustained party-wide messaging campaign, which intensifies every year around 25 June.

Stakeholders and Impact

The commemoration is aimed at voters and political audiences across Uttarakhand and nationally, reinforcing the BJP's positioning as the defender of constitutional democracy. For the Congress, the annual observance represents a recurring political challenge that the party has historically countered by questioning the BJP's own record on democratic freedoms.

State-level political leaders across the country, including chief ministers from the BJP, typically amplify the message on this date, making it a coordinated moment in the party's political calendar.

What's Next

As Samvidhan Hatya Diwas becomes an increasingly institutionalised date in the BJP's political calendar, observers will watch whether the commemoration gains formal legislative recognition or prompts renewed parliamentary debate on constitutional safeguards. Congress's response at the national and state level is also expected to shape how this historical narrative evolves in the lead-up to future electoral cycles.