On 50th Anniversary of Emergency, Pawan Kalyan and Union Ministers Reflect on a Dark Chapter in Indian Democracy
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, on Wednesday, marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency by calling it one of the darkest periods in India’s democratic history. Reflecting on the authoritarian move made by the then Congress government in 1975, Pawan Kalyan described the Emergency as not merely a political decision but a direct assault on the Constitution and the democratic spirit of the nation.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, he said, “The press was silenced. The voice of the Opposition was crushed. Fundamental rights were suspended. Great leaders like Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L. K. Advani, George Fernandes, Morarji Desai, and many others were jailed for defending democracy.”
He added, “As we mark 50 years of this constitutional betrayal, we observe ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ to honor those who fearlessly stood against authoritarianism. Their sacrifices remind us of the constant need to protect our democracy. Even today, we must remain vigilant against any attempt to weaken the Constitution in the name of politics.”
Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy echoed similar sentiments. In his post on X, he wrote, “Today marks 50 years since the Emergency was imposed — the darkest chapter in India’s democratic journey. The Constitution was crushed, lakhs were jailed, media was muzzled, and democracy was murdered — all to keep one family in power.”
He added a strong warning: “Never forget those who jailed the nation to save their chair. Never forgive those who called that tyranny ‘necessary’. No one is above the Constitution — we will never allow such dictatorship to rise again.”
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar also shared his reflections, describing the Emergency as a time when democracy was suffocated and personal freedoms were buried.
“The Emergency was a day when tyranny ruled the land, freedom was trampled, and constitutional values were mocked. It is a dark chapter etched in the annals of Indian history,” he stated. “Let us commit to safeguarding democratic values and honor the memory of those who endured imprisonment to protect our nation’s democratic fabric.”
The coordinated remarks from political leaders across the NDA alliance come as part of a broader campaign to mark five decades since the Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, leading to a 21-month suspension of civil liberties and democratic processes.
