“June 25 will be commemorated annually as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” to honor those who suffered during that time. To observe 25th June as #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas will serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution of India was trampled over. It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency”
This week, the Central government announced it would observe June 25 as “Constitution Murder Day” in remembrance of the 1975 Emergency. The decision has triggered backlash from opposition parties targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Government’s Declaration and Response: PM Modi referred to the 1975 Emergency as a “dark phase of Indian history” and announced that June 25 will be commemorated annually as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” to honor those who suffered during that time. He referred to the 1975 Emergency as a “dark phase of Indian history” and announced that June 25 will be commemorated annually as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas to honour those who suffered during that time. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, “To observe 25th June as #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas will serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution of India was trampled over. It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency, a Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history”.
Parliamentary Resolution And Acknowledgment: Earlier on June 26, the Lok Sabha adopted a resolution condemning the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Speaker Om Birla read out the resolution, stating that June 25, 1975, will always be known as a black chapter in Indian history. Commemorating the completion of 50 years since the imposition of the Emergency, Birla praised the strength and determination of those who strongly opposed it and protected India’s democracy. He said “This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. We also appreciate the determination of all those who opposed the Emergency, fought an unprecedented struggle, and took the responsibility of protecting India’s democracy.” Birla emphasized, “The day of June 25, 1975, will always be remembered as a black chapter in the history of India.”
Ministerial Perspectives: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the day would serve as a reminder of the significant sacrifices endured by those who faced the severe hardships of the 1975 Emergency, highlighting their immense contributions. “On 25 June 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, showing her dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of Indian democracy by imposing an emergency in the country. Lakhs of people were jailed without any reason and the voice of the media was suppressed. The Government of India has decided to celebrate 25 June every year as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’, Shah wrote in a post on X. BJP president JP Nadda said that the imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975, led to the killing of democracy as enshrined in the Constitution. He said 25 June 1975 was the black day when the dictatorial mindset of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an ‘Emergency’ on the country by killing the democracy enshrined in our Constitution. “The central government has decided to celebrate 25 June every year as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’. This day will remind us of the sacrifices of all our great men who fought against this dictatorial mindset of the Congress and endured torture and died for the protection of the Constitution and restoration of democracy,” Nadda said in a post on ‘X’. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Constitution Murder Day will remind them of the attempt to strangle the Constitution by imposing Emergency. Welcoming the decision of the central government, Union Minister Dharmedra Pradhan said that the Congress party is in the same “dictatorial and arrogant mentality” “Emergency was the darkest chapter of our democracy. In 1975, the Congress government held the country and its citizens hostage to gain power and interests, and suppressed the democratic rights. During the Emergency, the Congress also violated Babasaheb’s constitution. Congress is still in the same dictatorial and arrogant mentality,” Pradhan posted on ‘X’. “I welcome the decision taken by the Government of India to observe June 25th #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas every year to remember those who endured the hardships of the Emergency and to honor those who fought for the re-establishment of democratic values. This decision led by Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi will make everyone wake up to protect the Constitution at any cost,” he added. Slamming the Congress party, Pradhan said, “‘Constitution Murder Day’ is a fitting tribute to all the fighters of democracy who fought to preserve the values of Indian democracy. This will be a historic decision in the direction of introducing the future generation to the dictatorial mentality and the Congress party will not dare to commit such crimes in the future.” Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also cautioned against the BJP repeating the same mistakes of the Congress, which led to their ouster from power. Gadkari said that the BJP’s unique identity as a party consistently earned voters’ trust as he invoked party veteran LK Advani’s remark that “BJP is a party with a difference.” “On June 25, 1975, PM Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency, curbing democracy and silencing media. Countless citizens were unjustly imprisoned. He said “To honor their resilience, the Government of India will observe June 25 as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ annually, remembering the sacrifices of those who suffered during this dark period in history.”
Opposition Criticism: In response to the central government’s announcement to annually celebrate June 25 as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ in remembrance of the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi in 1975, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of celebrating “Constitution Murder Day” daily over the past decade. “In the last 10 years, your government has celebrated ‘Constitution Murder Day’ every day. You have continuously undermined the self-respect of every poor and deprived section of the country,” Kharge stated in a post on ‘X’ on Friday. Kharge slammed the BJP, questioning, “When a BJP leader urinates on tribals in Madhya Pradesh, or when the police forcibly cremate the Dalit daughter of Hathras in UP… what is that if not murder of the Constitution?” Kharge also criticized PM Narendra Modi for not visiting conflict-ridden Manipur since violence erupted months ago. “When Manipur has been gripped by violence for the last 13 months and you do not even want to set foot there… what is it if not murder of the Constitution?” he questioned. “When you arbitrarily implemented demonetization, crushed an institution like RBI, caused the deaths of 120 people standing in bank queues, and mocked the common people by clapping and saying ‘there’s a wedding at home, but no money’… what is that if not murder of the Constitution?”, Kharge said. Regarding the hastily imposed countrywide lockdown during the pandemic, Kharge said, “When you did not provide buses and trains to lakhs of workers during the Covid pandemic and forced them to walk hundreds of kilometers, disregarding the blisters on their feet, because you felt that a lockdown had to be imposed without any preparation… what is that if not murder of the Constitution?” Kharge also criticized the government’s interference in judicial processes, stating, “When five sitting Supreme Court judges held a public press conference questioning your government’s interference in the court… what else is that if not murder of the Constitution?” Kharge listed several instances where the BJP allegedly acted in a high-handed manner and undermined constitutional norms.
Further Opposition And Allegations: Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said at a press conference that the BJP is trying to divert attention from its anti-people policy. “She has been criticized. Indira Gandhi lost once and she came back to power as the Prime Minister. So that chapter was just one page of history and years later, the BJP is trying to divert attention from its anti-people policy, disasters and the bad condition of the country, they are trying to play this old card,” Ghosh said. In a statement, INDIA bloc targeted BJP for alleging that it has been “murdering” the Constitution every day for the last 10 years. “Since 2014, BJP has murdered the Constitution every day,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Priyanka Kakkar said. Highlighting instances where the ruling BJP was on the “wrong side” of the Constitution, Kakkar said, “Recently, during the Chandigarh mayoral elections, Anil Massi murdered the Constitution on camera and free and fair elections were not taking place. In Delhi, after a 9-year-long fight, the Delhi government got services under it, but the BJP brought a law and negated the SC order. This is the murder of the Constitution.” Continuing her attack, Kakkar said, “The Constitution was murdered when BJP brought the unconstitutional electoral bonds. Even the Supreme Court said that this is an unconstitutional scheme. This is the murder of the Constitution. This was a constitutional fraud.” The AAP leader said that had the BJP won more than 400 seats along with its allies, it would have removed reservations in the country. “We were saved. They were raising “400 paar” slogans but were stopped at 240. Otherwise they would have removed reservations,” she said. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji said BJP which had raised the slogan of crossing 400 could not get 400 and had to limit itself to 200…INDIA got the mandate that they got because the Constitution was in danger… “We should talk about what development are you (BJP) doing at present, in which direction are you taking the country, are you able to maintain communal harmony here as per the Constitution or not…Now elections are going to be held in four states for the BJP. Before the elections, they want to mislead people,” Maji said speaking to on Friday. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha hit out at the ruling BJP saying that they should hold a mirror in front of them for designating June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Divas. Jha also claimed that people will not fall for their “jumlas” (lies). “Look who is talking?… They have destroyed the Constitution…They should keep a mirror in front of them. A few years ago Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was announced, but they are not talking about it….The people of India will not fall for your ‘jumlas’ now…” Jha said. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also slammed the BJP over the decision and termed it a “headline-grabbing exercise.” He further alleged that the “non-biological” PM had imposed an undeclared Emergency for ten long years. “Yet another headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy by the non-biological PM who had imposed an undeclared Emergency for ten long years before the people of India handed him a decisive personal, political, and moral defeat on June 4, 2024 – which will go down in history as ModiMukti Diwas,” the Congress general secretary said on X.
“Initiating open discussions between the ruling party and opposition, centered on constitutional values and democratic principles, can foster mutual understanding and bridge ideological divides. Emphasizing effective governance, policy-making that prioritizes socio-economic development, minority rights protection, and communal harmony will rebuild public trust and address pressing national issues. Implementing educational reforms to enhance civic awareness and promoting a bipartisan vision for safeguarding constitutional ideals will pave the way for a resilient and prosperous future for the nation”.
1975 Emergency: Timeline of Key Events
- January 1966: Indira Gandhi elected Prime Minister.
- November 1969: The Congress splits after Gandhi is expelled for violating party discipline.
- 1971: Political opponent Raj Narain lodges complaint of electoral fraud against Indira Gandhi.
- 1973-75: Surge in political unrest and demonstrations against the Indira Gandhi-led government.
- June 12, 1975: Allahabad High Court finds Gandhi guilty over discrepancies in the electoral campaign.
- June 24, 1975: Supreme Court rules that MP privileges no longer apply to Gandhi. She is barred from voting but allowed to continue as Prime Minister.
- June 25, 1975: Declaration of Emergency by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of Indira Gandhi.
- June 26, 1975: Indira Gandhi addresses the nation on All India Radio.
- September 1976: Sanjay Gandhi initiates mass forced sterilization program in Delhi.
- January 18, 1977: Indira Gandhi calls for fresh elections and releases all political prisoners.
- March 23, 1977: Emergency officially comes to an end.
Kashmir Horizon View: Moving beyond the contentious debates surrounding the designation of June 25 as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, it is imperative for all political stakeholders to shift focus towards constructive dialogue and national reconciliation. Initiating open discussions between the ruling party and opposition, centered on constitutional values and democratic principles, can foster mutual understanding and bridge ideological divides. Emphasizing effective governance, policy-making that prioritizes socio-economic development, minority rights protection, and communal harmony will rebuild public trust and address pressing national issues. Implementing educational reforms to enhance civic awareness and promoting a bipartisan vision for safeguarding constitutional ideals will pave the way for a resilient and prosperous future for the nation.
(In commitment to continuous improvement the “Team Kashmir Horizon” invites it’s valuable readers to share their valuable feedback and suggestions with the “Team Kashmir Horizon”. The insights of readers will surely play a vital role in improving the content quality of “Kashmir Horizon” and contribute more for the empowerment of people. Please feel free to reach out to us at editor@ thekashmirhorizon.com. Team “Kashmir Horizon” eagerly anticipates thoughts and ideas of it’s readers, which will help us serve people and even more effectively. The inputs of valuable readers are highly valued as “Kashmir Horizon” strives to provide it’s readers the best possible experience. Thank you for being a part of the reader community!)
