New Delhi, June 24 (UNI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, without naming the Congress, said that those who now lament for the Constitution belong to that party which instead of becoming the protector of democracy, worked to become the destroyer of democracy.
Speaking at a programme organised on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency here, Shah accused the then Congress-led government of misusing the Constitution to safeguard power rather than the nation’s security, a Home Ministry statement said.
“Those who today lament about the Constitution belong to the same party which, instead of protecting democracy, worked to destroy it,” Shah said.
During emergency the governments formed on the basis of people's mandate were toppled overnight by trampling the spirit of the Constitution, Shah said.
He criticised the declaration of Emergency on June 25, 1975, as an undemocratic act that bypassed parliamentary and Cabinet procedures.
“Was the Parliament consulted? Was a Cabinet meeting called? Was the Opposition or the public taken into confidence?” Shah questioned.
Calling the Emergency a “conspiracy to turn India's multi-party democracy into the dictatorship of one person,” Shah said it had nothing to do with national security and everything to do with clinging to power.
He recounted how over one lakh political leaders, activists, journalists, students, and artists were jailed, and dissent was silenced.
“The legislature, executive, judiciary, press, and common citizens all watched helplessly as the country was turned into a prison,” he said.
Shah further highlighted the widespread constitutional amendments made during the period, including changes to the Preamble, Article 14, and numerous clauses under the 42nd Amendment, calling it a "mini version" of the Constitution.
“Even the judiciary was reshaped to suit the government’s interests,” he continued.
He also touched on the excesses committed during the period, citing the mass sterilization drives and the blacklisting of cultural figures like Kishore Kumar.
“The idea of dissent, the power of the pen, and even freedom of thought were all imprisoned,” Shah said.
The Home Minister said the Emergency serves as a critical reminder for all political parties and citizens about the dangers of authoritarianism.
“The existence of different ideologies is the foundation of our democracy. Suppressing them is not just undemocratic—it is un-Indian,” he said.
Shah also praised the Indian Constitution, describing it as a legal expression of the democratic spirit of the Indian people.
“We are a country of diverse opinions, and that is our strength. Democracy was born here. Even the concept of the sarpanch comes from our traditions,” he said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to commemorate June 25 every year as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day), Shah said the objective is not to reopen old wounds but to ensure that such a dark chapter is never repeated.
“We must remember how disastrous the consequences can be when a government becomes dictatorial,” he said.
Stating that India is considered the mother of democracy in the world, Shah said that democracy in India is not just the spirit of the Constitution, rather the Constitution makers have interpreted the spirit of the people in the form of words contained in the Constitution and this is our national character.
The Home Minister said that he is sure that any sensible citizen who lived during the Emergency would not have liked it.
Those who were illusioned that no one can challenge them, were defeated in the elections held after the Emergency and a non-Congress government was formed for the first time after independence.
He said that even though it has been 50 years since the Emergency, but even today the wound in the hearts of crores of Indians is as fresh as it was during the Emergency, he added.
He termed the Emergency as the 'ananykal’ of the then ruling party.
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