44th anniversary of Emergency: Narendra Modi says democracy prevailed over authoritarianism, Rajnath terms period 'darkest chapters in Indian history'

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid homage to all “those greats” who resisted the Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 25 June, 1975 and said democracy had prevailed over authoritarianism. “India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency. India’s democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset,” he tweeted. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) working president JP Nadda said in a tweet that the Emergency period was a “black blot”. “In 1975, on this day, democracy was murdered by the Congress party to remain in power. A grateful nation remembers thousands of unsung heroes from Bharatiya Jan Sangh and RSS, who led the anti-Emergency movement from the front” he tweeted. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter to highlight how it was one of the darkest chapters in the history of the country.

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.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 25, 2019

  “The declaration of Emergency on 25 June, 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 of our institutions and the Constitution,” he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah recalled how newspapers were shut and citizens of the country were deprived of their fundamental rights. “Lakhs of patriots suffered to restablish democracy in the country. I salute all those soldiers,” he tweeted. Emergency was imposed in India from 25 June, 1975 to 21 March, 1977.