On the 44th anniversary of the Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tributes to "all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted" it, adding that the country's "democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset".
The Emergency refers to the period from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had declared a state of Emergency, a political environment leading to the suspension of election and curbing civil liberties, on the nation.
Gandhi proposed the imposition of the Emergency, which agreed by then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and thereafter, the proposal was ratified by the Cabinet and simultaneously by Parliament, on the explanation that the nation was under imminent external and internal threats.
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"India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency. India's democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset," Modi said in a tweet, which also included a 90-second video detailing on the various aspects of Emergency, from newspapers to justice delivery, referring it to a "dark period" that trampled over democracy.
BJP's working President JP Nadda said in a tweet that the Emergency period was a "black blot".
"In 1975, on this day, democracy was murdered by the Congress party to remain in power. A grateful nation remembers thousands of unsung heroes from Bharatiya Jan Sangh and RSS, who led the anti-Emergency movement from the front" he tweeted.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter to highlight how it was one of the darkest chapters in the history of the country.
"The declaration of Emergency on June 25, 1975 and the incidents that followed, mark as one of the darkest chapters in India’s history.
"On this day, we the people of India should always remember the importance of upholding the integrity of our institutions and the Constitution," he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recalled how newspapers were shut and citizens of the country were deprived of their fundamental rights.
"Lakhs of patriots suffered to reestablish democracy in the country. I salute all those soldiers," he tweeted.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
