Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday called for a resolution to never allow repetition of an Emergency-like situation in the country. “This very day 34 years ago India witnessed one of the biggest assault on its democracy with the imposition of emergency by the then prime minister. Let us resolve never to allow repetition of subversion of the Constitution of this great democracy,” Kejriwal tweeted.
Emergency was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on this day in 1975 which was in effect till March 21, 1977. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saluted those who resisted the Emergency imposed by an “authoritarian mindset”.
“India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency. India’s democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset,” Modi tweeted.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed the declaration of Emergency one of the country darkest chapters and called upon people to remeber the importance of integrity of the Constitution.
"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 our institutions and the Constitution," Singh wrote on Twitter.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked the ruling Narendra Modi government, saying that the country had to go through a "Super Emergency" in the last five years.
"Today is the anniversary of the #Emergency declared in 1975. For the last five years, the country went through a ‘Super Emergency’. We must learn our lessons from history and fight to safeguard the democratic institutions in the country," she said.