Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh addressed a public gathering in Patna on Thursday, 25 June 2026, at an event marking Samvidhan Hatya Diwas (Constitution Murder Day), the BJP's annual commemoration of the declaration of the 1975 Emergency. The minister called on citizens never to forget the assault on the Constitution, democracy, and civil liberties that began on 25 June 1975, and paid tribute to those who resisted the 21-month period of authoritarian rule.

Context

Giriraj Singh posted on X that he participated in and addressed the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas programme in Patna, resolving that the sacrifices of those who fought for democracy must be remembered. He noted the 'dignified presence' of Union Minister and former BJP national president J.P. Nadda at the event. The gathering offered homage to democracy fighters who resisted what Singh described as the 'dictatorship of the Emergency' under the leadership of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan.

In his post, Singh directly attacked the Indian National Congress, stating: 'The real and cruel face of the socialism and welfare of the poor that Congress pretends to champion today was exposed to the country during those 21 months of the Emergency.' He added that remembering the assault on democracy and the Constitution is 'not merely a matter of history, but also our responsibility towards the future.'

Policy Backdrop

The Emergency was proclaimed on 25 June 1975 under Article 352 of the Constitution and remained in force until March 1977, suspending fundamental rights and civil liberties across the country. Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, widely referred to as JP, led the Bihar movement of 1974–75 and became the most prominent face of nationwide resistance to the Emergency.

Since 2014, the BJP has institutionalised annual commemorations on 25 June through state-level events and social-media campaigns, framing the Emergency as a defining example of Congress's disregard for constitutional values. The Samvidhan Hatya Diwas label itself is a BJP-coined designation intended to sharpen that contrast in public memory.

Stakeholders and Impact

The Patna event drew significance from the presence of J.P. Nadda, a senior Union Minister and the party's immediate past national president, signalling the BJP's continued investment in keeping Emergency-era memory politically active in Bihar, a key electoral state. Begusarai MP Giriraj Singh is among the party's most prominent voices in the state.

Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, have consistently pushed back against the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas framing, arguing it is a partisan reinterpretation of history. Civil liberties groups and historians have noted that the Emergency's legacy belongs to the broader public record, not to any single party's narrative.

What's Next

The BJP is expected to hold similar commemorations across multiple states on 25 June each year, with the events likely to feature more prominently as national elections approach. References to the Emergency and constitutional safeguards are also anticipated to surface in upcoming Lok Sabha sessions as part of the ruling party's broader political messaging.

The Samvidhan Hatya Diwas framing is increasingly embedded in BJP's long-term strategy to contrast its own constitutional record with what it portrays as Congress's authoritarian legacy — a narrative that will likely intensify ahead of future electoral cycles.