CM Dhami marks Samvidhan Hatya Diwas, calls Emergency a wound
Synopsis
On the 51st anniversary of the 1975 Emergency, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X calling the period 'a wound in history inflicted by Congress,' marking Samvidhan Hatya Diwas and tagging Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Key Takeaways
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X on 25 June 2026 marking Samvidhan Hatya Diwas .
He described the 1975 Emergency as 'a wound in history inflicted by Congress that the country can never forget.' The post tagged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Ministry of Home Affairs (@HMOIndia) .
The Union government formally declared 25 June as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas in 2024 to institutionalise the annual observance.
The 1975 Emergency , proclaimed under Article 352 on the advice of PM Indira Gandhi , lasted from June 1975 to March 1977 , suspending fundamental rights.
Opposition Congress responses to the observance are expected through the day.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday, 25 June 2026, marked Samvidhan Hatya Diwas by calling the 1975 Emergency an indelible wound inflicted on India by the Indian National Congress, tagging Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Ministry of Home Affairs in his post on X.
Context
Dhami wrote, 'Aapatkaal ka kaala daur Congress dwara diya gaya itihas ka aisa ghaav hai, jise desh kabhi bhool nahi sakta' — 'The dark era of the Emergency is a wound in history inflicted by Congress that the country can never forget.' The post carried the hashtag #SamvidhanHatyaDiwas and was accompanied by a video.
The statement was made on the 51st anniversary of the proclamation of the national Emergency, which began on 25 June 1975 and lasted until March 1977. On that date, the President of India, acting on the advice of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, invoked Article 352 of the Constitution, suspending fundamental rights across the country.
Policy Backdrop
The Union government formally declared 25 June as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas in 2024, institutionalising the date as an annual observance to commemorate the Emergency's imposition and its consequences for constitutional governance. The designation transformed what had been informal party-level messaging into a state-recognised day of remembrance.
By tagging @AmitShah and @HMOIndia, Dhami's post aligns with coordinated central and state-level BJP communication on this date. The Home Ministry has been the nodal body for the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas observance since its formal institution.
Stakeholders and Impact
For the BJP, the annual observance serves a dual purpose: honouring citizens who resisted the Emergency and reinforcing a political contrast with the Congress, which has historically defended or contextualised the Emergency period. Civil society groups and constitutional scholars have long documented the suspension of press freedom, mass detentions under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act), and the curtailment of judicial independence during the period.
For the Congress, the date is a recurring flashpoint. The party has in previous years argued that the BJP selectively invokes the Emergency while itself undermining democratic institutions — a counter-narrative that is likely to resurface in responses to statements like Dhami's.
What's Next
Responses from Congress and other opposition parties to the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas observances are expected through the day. References to the Emergency may also surface in ongoing sessions of state assemblies and in parliamentary discourse on constitutional matters. As the BJP continues to institutionalise this commemoration, the political contest over the Emergency's legacy is set to intensify with each passing anniversary.
Point of View
Top-down BJP campaign rather than individual commentary. The formal institutionalisation of Samvidhan Hatya Diwas in 2024 has given state-level leaders a government-sanctioned platform to attack Congress on democratic credentials — a shift from party rhetoric to state memory-making. This pattern reflects the BJP's broader strategy of converting historical grievances into annual civic rituals, deepening the narrative contrast with Congress ahead of future electoral cycles. The Congress, in turn, faces a recurring dilemma: engaging with the Emergency's legacy risks relitigating uncomfortable history, while silence cedes the framing entirely to its opponents.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Samvidhan Hatya Diwas?
Samvidhan Hatya Diwas is observed on 25 June each year to mark the imposition of the national Emergency in 1975 . The Union government formally declared it in 2024 to commemorate the suspension of fundamental rights under Article 352 on the advice of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi .
Why did CM Dhami post about the Emergency on 25 June 2026?
25 June 2026 marks the 51st anniversary of the 1975 Emergency . Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami posted as part of the BJP 's annual Samvidhan Hatya Diwas observance, calling the Emergency 'a wound in history inflicted by Congress.'
What was the 1975 Emergency in India?
The 1975 Emergency was a period from 25 June 1975 to March 1977 during which the President of India, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi , invoked Article 352 , suspending fundamental rights, detaining political opponents, and curtailing press freedom.
Why did Dhami tag Amit Shah in his Emergency post?
Dhami tagged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and @HMOIndia because the Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal body for the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas observance since its formal institution in 2024 , reflecting coordinated central and state-level messaging.
How does Congress respond to Samvidhan Hatya Diwas?
The Congress has historically countered BJP statements on the Emergency by arguing that the ruling party selectively invokes the period while itself undermining democratic institutions. Formal responses from the party are typically issued on 25 June each year.
