‘Nation never bows down to dictatorship’: Amit Shah criticises Congress for 1975 Emergency; govt to observe June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ annually | India News

Union home minister Amit Shah (ANI)

Union home minister Amit Shah criticised the Congress government on Tuesday for the imposition of the Emergency and said, “We overcame a dark chapter like the Emergency because our nation never bows down to dictatorship”. He was addressing a gathering at an event marking the 50 years of the Emergency at the Pradhanmantri Sanghralaya. “Today is the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency… There may arise a question why something that happened 50 years ago is being discussed now… When 50 years of any national event are completed, good or bad, its memory fades away in society. If the memory of an event like the Emergency that shook the democracy fades away, then that is harmful to the nation,” said the union home minister. Amit Shah said that the Modi government has decided to observe June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ annually so that the “country remembers how a nation suffers when its leaders turn into dictators”. He said that the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas should be observed so that the youth remembers how the “constitution was once silenced”.The Emergency, which was imposed on June 25, 1975, reminds people of “the extent to which Congress can go”, said Amit Shah. “It is difficult to define the Emergency in a single sentence. I have tried to come up with a definition. The conspiracy to convert a multi-party democracy of a democratic country in a dictatorship is an Emergency,” he added.Taking a dig at the opposition, Shah remarked, “Those who talk about protecting democracy today, were you the Rakshaks (protectors) of the Constitution back then, or its Bhakshaks (destroyers)? They claimed the Emergency was declared to protect the nation. But the truth is, it was declared to protect their own power,” he said.Addressing the gathering, Amit Shah said that the Emergency brought about sweeping changes that led to the Constitution being dubbed a ‘mini-Constitution’. Key elements such as the Preamble and the Basic Structure were altered, the judiciary was weakened, and democratic rights were suspended.He cited that it is the responsibility and right of every citizen to uphold the values of the Constitution, and the onus of it does not fall solely on Parliament or the courts.