Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the government’s decision to observe 25th June as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas (a day to mark the murder of the Constitution) will serve as a reminder of what happens “when the Constitution of India was trampled over.”

In a post on the X, he said “To observe 25th June as #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas will serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution of India was trampled over. It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency, a Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history.”

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The government announced the decision to observe 25 June, the day the Emergency was promulgated, as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas,” with a view to keep future generations aware of injustices meted out to citizens under the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government of the Congress Party.

Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the day will remind Indian citizens of the immense contribution of all those people who suffered the inhuman pain of the Emergency of 1975.

In a post on X, he said “On 25 June 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, showing her dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of Indian democracy by imposing Emergency in the country. Lakhs of people were jailed without any reason and the voice of the media was suppressed.”

He said: “The Government of India has decided to observe 25 June every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’. This day will remind us of the immense contribution of all those people who suffered the inhuman pain of the Emergency of 1975.”

A gazette notification (Extraordinary) published by the Home Ministry on Friday said “Whereas a proclamation of Emergency was made on 25 June, 1975, following which there was gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities;

“And whereas, people of India have abiding faith in the Constitution of India and the power of India’s resilient democracy;

“Therefore, Government of India declares 25th June as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future.”

The notification was signed by Joint Secretary G Parthasarathi of the Home Ministry on Thursday.

The 18th Lok Sabha had during a special session following its constitution, observed silence for a short while on 26th June, after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made a reference regarding the proclamation of Emergency in the country on 25 June, 1975.