In a powerful address during the 123rd episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing critique of the 1975 Emergency, labelling it a dark period when the Constitution was ‘murdered’ and the judiciary nearly enslaved.
PM Modi said the Emergency, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, was not just about political overreach but a full-blown attack on democratic institutions.
“Those who imposed Emergency not only murdered our Constitution but also had the intention to keep the judiciary as their slave,” he remarked.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, PM Modi recalled the courage of Indians who resisted the authoritarian regime.
He referred to ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’, observed on June 25, and said atrocities were inflicted on citizens during that time.
PM Modi played an archival audio clip of former PM Morarji Desai, describing the Emergency’s impact on freedom and institutions.
Former PM Desai said freedom was snatched, newspapers lost independence, and courts became powerless during the Emergency era.
He noted that over one lakh people were jailed, calling it repression rarely seen even in world history.
PM Modi spoke of the brutalities faced by leaders like George Fernandes, who was ‘tied in chains’, and the mass misuse of MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act), which allowed arrests without cause.
“Students were harassed, freedom of expression silenced, and fear reigned,” he said.
Despite the harsh repression, the people of India stood firm.
“The Indian public neither bowed nor broke,” said the Prime Minister, crediting people’s power for defeating authoritarianism and restoring democracy.
The programme included a stirring clip from Babu Jagjivan Ram, who called the 1977 elections ‘a great campaign to overthrow dictatorship’.
A powerful speech by Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also aired, in which he declared, “A peaceful revolution has taken place. The wave of people’s power has thrown the killers of democracy into the dustbin of history.”
Concluding his address, PM Modi urged citizens to draw inspiration from those who resisted the Emergency.
“We must always remember those who fought with resilience. Their courage inspires us to remain ever-vigilant in preserving our Constitution and democratic values,” he said.
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