Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the fight against the Emergency has kept Indian democracy alive. Recalling the 1975 crisis, he criticized Congress for crushing constitutional values and urged citizens to remember the dark era to prevent future authoritarianism. Over 1.1 lakh were jailed during the 21-month Emergency.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, calling it a dark chapter in India’s democratic history and emphasizing that the resistance against it has been crucial in preserving the country’s democratic spirit. Speaking at the ‘Aapatkaal Ke 50 Saal’ programme, Shah strongly criticized the Congress party and its leadership during the 21-month-long Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.
Shah said, “It has been 50 years in the documents, but even today, the wound in the hearts of crores of Indians inflicted by the tyranny of the Congress remains as fresh as it was during the Emergency.” He described the period as one when the country had turned into a prison, with civil liberties crushed and voices of dissent silenced.
Without directly naming Rahul Gandhi, Shah took aim at the current Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, questioning the Congress party’s commitment to constitutional values. “I want to ask leaders who swear by the Constitution: What right do you have to talk about the Constitution? What did your party do during the Emergency? Was any permission taken from Parliament?” he asked. He accused the Congress of acting like “destroyers of the Constitution” during that period.
Shah criticized the declaration of the Emergency, claiming it was done not by the elected Cabinet, but by a so-called “Kitchen Cabinet” close to Indira Gandhi. “The Constitution, which took over two years and 1,100 hours of debate to be created, was dismissed in one minute,” he said, referring to how abruptly democratic norms were overturned.
Recounting the hardships during the Emergency, Shah said, “Everyone was thrown into jail cells, and no one was given a chance to be heard.” He added that the judiciary, executive, legislature, media, and even artists were silenced during that time. Prominent leaders like George Fernandes and Acharya Kriplani were imprisoned without any formal explanation, he noted.
He strongly argued that remembering the Emergency is not merely an act of recalling the past but an essential step in preventing such authoritarian tendencies from resurfacing. “Some people question the benefits of remembering an incident that took place 50 years ago, but I insist that the exercise is a powerful means to guard against the return of such dark days,” he said.
“The Emergency was hated by the masses and appreciated only by the then dictator and her coterie,” he remarked, indirectly referring to Indira Gandhi. Shah labeled the Emergency as the longest night in Indian democracy. “It took 21 months for democracy to return. Therefore, I call the night of June 24, 1975 as the longest ever in the country.”
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He painted a grim picture of life during the Emergency, urging the public to imagine being stripped of civil rights overnight. “Imagine being turned into a dictator’s slave from a citizen overnight. Imagine a mediaperson being branded anti-national overnight. Imagine a student – a nation’s future – being treated as a threat to the establishment,” he said.
The Home Minister concluded by reminding that over 1.1 lakh people, including social workers, students, and political activists, were jailed simply for opposing the regime. He insisted that the memories of the Emergency must never fade, lest India forget the dangers of unchecked power and dictatorial governance.
