PM Modi slams 1975 Emergency as assault on constitution and judiciary

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 29 launched a scathing critique of the 1975 crackdown, calling it a “murder of the Constitution” and a dark chapter aimed at enslaving India’s judiciary and suppressing democratic dissent.

In his monthly Mann Ki Baat address, Modi commemorated what the government has now declared Samvidhan Hatya Diwas — the day Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975 — and played archival audio clips of former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Morarji Desai, and former deputy prime minister Jagjivan Ram, who had spoken out against the 21-month suspension of civil liberties.

“Those who imposed the Emergency did not just murder our Constitution, their goal was to subjugate the judiciary,” Modi said, without directly naming the Congress or then prime minister Indira Gandhi. “During this time, people were tormented on a large scale. There are many such examples which cannot be forgotten.”

Modi underscored that thousands were jailed, subjected to “inhuman atrocities,” and stripped of basic freedoms, but the Indian public ultimately refused to surrender. “They did not bow down, did not break down, and did not accept any compromise with democracy. In the end, it was the people who triumphed.”

The Prime Minister’s remarks come days after the Union Cabinet passed a resolution to honor those who resisted the Emergency, calling it a time for national reflection and vigilance. “We must always remember those who stood strong against the Emergency. Their courage is a beacon that reminds us to safeguard our Constitution, always,” he said.

Emergency — imposed under Article 352 of the Constitution — remains one of India’s most contentious political episodes. Citing “internal disturbance,” the Indira Gandhi-led government cracked down on civil liberties, press freedom, and political opposition between 1975 and 1977. The authoritarian move continues to polarize Indian politics.

Modi’s pointed comments arrive amid fierce political sparring, with Opposition leaders accusing his government of creating an “undeclared Emergency” of its own — a charge the ruling BJP strongly denies.