50 years after Emergency: When Indira Gandhi put pause on democracy; what PM Narendra Modi and others said
The 1975 Emergency was the third national emergency, following the first in 1962 due to the war between India and China and the second in 1971 during the Indo-Pakistan conflict.
Lead-Up to the Emergency
The Emergency in India was preceded by mounting political unrest and judicial developments that challenged the ruling leadership’s legitimacy. Opposition to the government intensified in the early 1970s, with protests led by Jayaprakash Narayan gaining momentum in Bihar and Gujarat. Student-led agitations, unemployment, inflation, and corruption all contributed to dissatisfaction.
A landmark verdict by Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha on June 12, 1975, ruled that Indira Gandhi had misused government machinery in her 1971 Lok Sabha election campaign. The court declared her guilty under the Representation of the People Act of 1951 and barred her from holding any elected office for six years. The Supreme Court granted a conditional stay, allowing Gandhi to remain Prime Minister but barring her from voting.
Declaration of Emergency
On June 25, 1975, then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a state of Emergency under Article 352, citing threats from ‘internal disturbance’ as the reason. The government accused leaders, including Jayaprakash Narayan, of provoking unrest against the police and armed forces.
The phrase ‘internal disturbance’ was used instead of what was ultimately changed to ‘armed rebellion’ by the 44th Constitutional Amendment in 1978. The decision gave the executive overriding powers, bringing state authority under central control. During the 1975 Emergency, civil liberties were suspended, opposition leaders jailed, elections postponed, the press gagged, and anti-government protests crushed.
End of Emergency
The Emergency lasted until March 21, 1977, following a political shift triggered by general elections. General elections to the Lok Sabha were conducted between March 16 and 20, 1977. On March 24, 1977, the Janata Party formed the government after defeating the Congress Party.
50 years to Emergency: What political leaders said
On the 50th anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday sharply criticised the Congress government for undermining democratic institutions and suppressing fundamental rights. Calling it one of the darkest chapters, PM Modi, in a series of posts, paid tribute to those who resisted the Emergency.
“Today marks 50 years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. No Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of our Constitution was violated, the voice of Parliament muzzled, and attempts were made to control the courts. We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency!”
Today marks fifty years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2025
Recalling the ‘painful chapter’ of independent India’s history, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that it was a powerful reminder of the collective duty of people to safeguard values and uphold the resilience of Indian democracy.
“On #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas, we recall a painful chapter of independent India’s history, when institutions were undermined, rights were suspended and accountability was set aside. It also remains a powerful reminder of our collective duty to safeguard constitutional values and uphold the resilience of Indian democracy.”
On #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas, we recall a painful chapter of independent India’s history, when institutions were undermined, rights were suspended and accountability was set aside.
It also remains a powerful reminder of our collective duty to safeguard constitutional values and…— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 25, 2025
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Emergency was not a national necessity but a reflection of the anti-democratic mentality of the Congress and ‘one individual’.
“The ‘Emergency’ was an ‘era of injustice’ driven by Congress’s hunger for power. The Emergency imposed on June 25, 1975, caused immense pain and suffering to the people of the nation. To ensure that the new generation understands this, the Modi government has named this day ‘Constitution Assassination Day.’ This day reminds us that when power turns into dictatorship, the people have the strength to uproot it,” he added.
‘आपातकाल’ कांग्रेस की सत्ता की भूख का ‘अन्यायकाल’ था। 25 जून 1975 को लगे आपातकाल में देशवासियों ने जो पीड़ा और यातना सही, उसे नई पीढ़ी जान सके, इसी उद्देश्य से मोदी सरकार ने इस दिन को ‘संविधान हत्या दिवस’ का नाम दिया। यह दिवस बताता है कि जब सत्ता तानाशाही बन जाती है, तो जनता उसे… pic.twitter.com/UdGRzNCcgw
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 25, 2025
On Wednesday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Emergency happened “due to a combination of the weaponisation of laws, subversion of judicial independence, and disregard of the rule of law.” On X, she wrote, “For those in @INCIndia with a copy of our Constitution in their hands–50 years on, India remembers the atrocity.”
Emergency ”…happened due to a combination of weaponisation of laws,subversion of judicial independence,and disregard of the rule of law.”
For those in @INCIndia with a copy of our Constitution in their hands—50 yrs on India remembers the atrocity. https://t.co/7aqU1Lkban
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) June 25, 2025
On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said it was a direct attempt to ‘crush’ the country’s ‘soul.’ “June 25, 1975, a conspiracy by a family, intoxicated by power, to trample the Constitution and proof of the Congress’s cruel, tyrannical mindset that handed over the entire country to the horrific Emergency, murdering democracy. This was a direct attempt to crush the soul of our nation. The Emergency is such a heinous crime from a humanitarian perspective that it can never be forgiven,” he wrote on X.
25 जून 1975…
एक परिवार द्वारा सत्ता के नशे में संविधान को रौंदने की साजिश और कांग्रेस की क्रूर, अत्याचारी सोच का प्रमाण जिसने पूरे देश को घिनौने आपातकाल के हवाले कर लोकतंत्र की हत्या कर दी।यह हमारे राष्ट्र की आत्मा को कुचलने का सीधा प्रयास था। आपातकाल मानवीय दृष्टिकोण से एक… pic.twitter.com/6LZjzKsH1G
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) June 25, 2025
Centre declares June 25 as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’
In 2024, the BJP-led government officially notified June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas to mark the imposition of the Emergency.
In a post on X, Amit Shah shared the notification that reads, “A proclamation of Emergency was made on 25th June 1975, following which there was a gross abuse of power by the government of the day and the people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities.”
25 जून 1975 को तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गाँधी ने अपनी तानाशाही मानसिकता को दर्शाते हुए देश में आपातकाल लगाकर भारतीय लोकतंत्र की आत्मा का गला घोंट दिया था। लाखों लोगों को अकारण जेल में डाल दिया गया और मीडिया की आवाज को दबा दिया गया। भारत सरकार ने हर साल 25 जून को ‘संविधान… pic.twitter.com/KQ9wpIfUTg
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 12, 2024
Along with the gazette notification, he wrote, “The Government of India has decided to observe June 25 every year as ‘Constitution Assassination Day.’ This day will commemorate the immense contributions of all those who endured the inhumane pain of the 1975 Emergency.”
