NEW DELHI, June 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to those who opposed the 1975 Emergency, calling them a source of inspiration in protecting democracy and the Constitution.
In his Mann Ki Baat broadcast, Modi slammed the then Congress-led government for “murdering the Constitution” and turning the judiciary into a puppet. Without naming former PM Indira Gandhi, he condemned the 21-month Emergency as a period of mass repression, citing arbitrary arrests, student harassment, and curbs on free speech.
Modi played excerpts from speeches by anti-Emergency leaders like Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Jagjivan Ram, and recalled the jailing of George Fernandes under MISA.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, recently observed as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas, Modi said those who fought for democracy during that time must always be remembered.
