STATE TIMES NEWS
CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI: BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Wednesday termed the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, as the darkest chapter in India’s democratic history which saw complete “Hatya ” of the Constitution.
In a statement, he said it was a night when the Constitution was paralysed to victimise the leaders of the Opposition and to stifle the voice of dissent coming from newspapers or social leaders.
Taking strong exception to the manner leader of opposition in Lok Sabha has been flaunting the copy of Constitution; Chugh said it’s time for the Gandhi family to recall how it has been violating Constitution to stay in power.
Chugh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to observe June 25 as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” serves as a solemn reminder of the horrors that unfolded when hunger for power overrides constitutional morality.
“The Emergency was not the result of a national crisis. It was not driven by any external or internal threat. It was a consequence of dictatorial arrogance and a desperate attempt to cling to power. It wasn’t an emergency-it was an era of injustice. It was Congress’s ‘Anyaykaal’,” Chugh said. He underlined that Article 352 was brazenly misused, and India was turned into a political prison. Over one lakh citizens-including opposition leaders, journalists, students, and social activists-were arbitrarily jailed without trial. The press was censored, the judiciary was pressured, and civil liberties were crushed. “Thought, dissent, and the pen were all locked behind bars. The Constitution was butchered to suit the whims of a single family,” Chugh said.
He described the night before the Emergency as “the longest night after Independence,” one whose morning came only 21 months later-when the people of India, through their vote in the 1977 elections, resurrected democracy and rejected dictatorship.
Chugh launched a fierce political attack on the Congress, stating that it has never expressed remorse for the imposition of Emergency. He recalled how Rajiv Gandhi shamelessly defended it as a “necessary decision,” exposing the party’s deep-rooted disdain for democratic values.
“Today, the very party that once trampled the Constitution pretends to be its guardian. Worse still, those who were victims of that tyranny now sit shoulder-to-shoulder with its perpetrators, raising hollow concerns about democracy. This isn’t just hypocrisy – it’s a betrayal of their own struggle and sacrifice.”
Chugh said that during the Emergency, the Constitution was amended so drastically that it became a “mini version” of itself. Students were labelled anarchists, journalists were branded as anti-nationals, and ordinary citizens were reduced to the status of slaves under a dynastic regime.
“Whenever the dictatorial mindset within an individual gets emboldened by absolute power, democracy is the first casualty. Our youth must know what really happened in 1975-not from textbooks, but from the truth,” he said.
Chugh said: “India’s democracy is built on strong foundations. Any tyrant who tries to shake that foundation will end up ruining their own future. Let June 25 remain a symbol-not just of historical betrayal-but of eternal vigilance against those who seek to weaken the Republic.”
He appealed to the citizens of India, especially the younger generation, to observe June 25 not just as a date in history, but as a reminder of the dangers of authoritarianism, and to pledge themselves to protect democracy in spirit, action, and thought.