The BJP on Thursday attacked on the Congress on the 51st anniversary of the Emergency, calling it a "dark chapter" in India's democratic history and accusing the opposition party of failing to offer an unconditional apology for its actions during the period.
In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "On this day in 1975, the dark chapter of the Emergency was imposed on India by the then Congress government, choking our democracy, suspending civil liberties and crushing dissent with brute force."
"Intoxicated by power, the 'tyrant' unleashed indiscriminate 'atrocities' upon citizens at the slightest hint of dissent and 'murdered' the cardinal principles of the Constitution, 'wounding' the soul of democracy in the country," Shah said.
"This day reminds us of the permanent scar that the Emergency left on our nation and strengthens our resolve to protect the democracy our ancestors earned through sacrifices," he added.
The Emergency was imposed between June 25, 1975, and March 21, 1977, under Article 352 of the Constitution, granting sweeping powers to the executive and bringing state authority under central control.
BJP president Nitin Nabin said the period represented an assault on constitutional values and democratic norms.
In a series of posts on X, he said, "On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court had declared the election of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi illegal. After this, priority was given not to national interest but to the interest of power."
"To save the chair of one person, the freedom of the entire country was held hostage and an attempt was made to crush the constitutional values and democratic dignity established by Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar," he added.
Targeting the Congress, Nabin said, "If Parliament doesn't function, it is the government's fault. If (Congress is) defeated in elections, it is the system's fault. If the public doesn't support (Congress), it is the institutions' fault."
"The biggest question is why the party that invokes the Constitution has not yet offered an unconditional apology to the country for the Emergency," he said.
"If there truly was concern for the Constitution, the first thing would have been to seek forgiveness from the country for the crime of murdering democracy," Nabin added.
He alleged that efforts were made for decades to erase memories of the Emergency and said the Modi government had corrected the historical narrative by designating June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'.
"Samvidhan Hatya Diwas not only reminds us of the past but also reinforces our resolve to remain ever-vigilant and dedicated to protecting the Constitution, democracy and civil liberties," Nabin said.
"This day reminds us of the importance of freedom and the need to safeguard democratic values. We pay tribute to all those who fought to protect democracy, even amidst trying circumstances," he added.
The Emergency was declared by then prime minister Indira Gandhi shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay on an Allahabad High Court verdict that had set aside her Lok Sabha election.
The 21-month period is remembered for press censorship, suspension of constitutional rights and controversial mass sterilisation drives.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed Congress' justifications for the Emergency as "absolutely baseless".
Recalling the period, Prasad said opposition leaders, including Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Morarji Desai and George Fernandes, were jailed.
"The RSS was banned. The nails of RSS swayamsevaks were pulled off. Even those who were not married were forcibly sterilised," he said.
Prasad also noted that Parliament's term was extended from five to six years and several constitutional amendments were passed while opposition leaders remained behind bars.
"And, the shameless people who are leading the Congress today talk about the Constitution. They call themselves protectors of the Constitution while they were devourers of the Constitution, and they are still so," he said.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role during the Emergency, Prasad said, "The way he operated underground in the disguise of a Sikh to organise people from Gujarat to the rest of India was truly remarkable."
(With inputs from PTI)
