'Dark days of emergency remain unforgettable': PM Modi recalls 1975 Emergency
New Delhi, June 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled the period of Emergency in India and paid homage to the bravehearts who resisted the "dark days" and worked to strengthen the democratic spirit.
The Emergency was declared in 1975 by the then-Congress government led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
"I pay homage to all those courageous people who resisted the Emergency and worked to strengthen our democratic spirit. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remain an unforgettable period in our history, totally opposite to the values our Constitution celebrates," PM Modi said on Twitter.
The Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, and ended on March 21, 1977.
Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda also paid tribute to patriots who fought for the establishment of democracy by enduring immense tortures.
"On June 25, 1975, a family due to its dictatorial tendencies killed the country's great democracy and imposed a stigma like emergency. Whose ruthlessness left behind even the tyranny of hundreds of years of foreign rule. In such difficult times, I bow down to all the patriots who fought for the establishment of democracy by enduring immense tortures," Nadda said.
The then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency for 21 months, from 1975 to 1977.
President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed issued the order under Article 352 of the Constitution in response to the current "internal disturbance."
The Emergency gave the Prime Minister the right to rule by decree, suspending elections and restricting civil liberties. The 1975 Emergency is considered one of the most contentious periods in independent India's history.
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- ANI
