New Delhi [India], June 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the 123rd episode of his monthly radio program Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, strongly condemned the imposition of the Emergency in 1975, calling it one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.
As the country observes the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, PM Modi referred to it as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” (Constitution Killing Day). To commemorate the occasion, he shared rare archival audio recordings of former Prime Ministers Morarji Desai, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had voiced fierce opposition to the Emergency and its effects on civil liberties and democratic institutions.
The Prime Minister emphasized the need for citizens to remember and honor those who fought bravely against the Emergency. “Their sacrifice reminds us to stay vigilant and safeguard the Constitution,” he said.
In one of the audio clips, Morarji Desai described the Emergency as an era where the judiciary was manipulated, democracy was throttled, and over one lakh people were jailed arbitrarily under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). “People were treated inhumanely, their freedoms taken, and newspapers silenced,” Desai said.
Highlighting Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s response to the lifting of the Emergency, PM Modi played a clip in which Vajpayee stated: “What happened was not merely an election. It was a peaceful revolution. The people’s power threw the killers of democracy into the dustbin of history.”
The address also featured a speech by Babu Jagjivan Ram, who said, “The last election was a campaign by the people of India to change the circumstances, defeat dictatorship, and rebuild the foundation of democracy.”
In addition to reflecting on the Emergency, PM Modi also spoke about the enthusiastic nationwide participation in International Yoga Day celebrations, and touched upon other important topics including healthcare initiatives, eye disease prevention, and spiritual pilgrimages.