'Institutions Were Compromised, Nation Turned Into Prison': PM Modi Recalls 'Dark Era' of Emergency

New Delhi: Ahead of the commencement of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday recalled the ‘dark days’ and ‘unforgettable period’ of the Emergency. Notably, tomorrow, June 25 marks the 49th anniversary since the Emergency was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975.

“Tomorrow is 25th June which marks 50 years of the blot that was put on the democracy of India. The new generation of India will never forget that the constitution of India was completely rejected, every part of the constitution was torn to pieces, the country was turned into a prison and democracy was completely suppressed,” said PM Modi. 

He added that countrymen will take a resolution that no party will ever dare to repeat such a thing in India again. “While protecting our constitution, while protecting the democracy of India, the democratic traditions, the countrymen will take a resolution that no one will dare to do such a thing in India again which was done 50 years ago,” he said. 

“We will take a resolution of a vibrant democracy. We will take a resolution to fulfil the dreams of the common people as per the directions of the constitution of India,” he added. 

Congress Responds to PM Modi 

Responding to PM Modi's sharp attack, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that there's an undeclared emergency under the BJP-led NDA government. "He (PM Modi) will say this 100 times. Without declaring an emergency, you are doing this. How long do you want to rule by talking about this?"

The Emergency imposed from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, is regarded as a controversial moment in independent India's history. The then Congress government-led by PM Indira Gandhi made the announcement based on the rationale that there was an "internal disturbance".

The nearly two-year-old period witnessed the arrest of several opposition leaders, the stifling of dissent, a crackdown on civil liberties and censorship of the press.