Samvidhan Hatya Diwas (IAST: saṃvidhāna hatyā divasa; Constitution Assassination Day) is a day in recognition of the sacrifice of people during the 1975 emergency of India, declared by then prime ministerIndira Gandhi. Many constitutional rights of citizen and media were withheld during the emergency. This day is observed on 25th of June every year to remind citizens of the struggled citizens to revive democracy in India during 1975-1977.[1]
Origin
Gazette notification issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (India), announcing Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas
In July 2024, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced that the Government of India has decided to observe the 25th of June every year as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'.[2] This day is to commemorate the contributions of all Indian citizen who suffered difficulties during the 1975 Emergency.[3][4]
The gazette notification issued on 11 July 2024, by the Union Home Ministry notes that Emergency was declared on 25 June 1975, after which there was “gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities”.[5][6]
On 25 June 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, imposed the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were send to jails, and the voice of the mainstream media was silenced. This led to the suspension of most of the civil rights for more than two years.[7][8]
Many other NDA members such as Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajnath Singh, and Amit Shah among others welcomed the decision taken by the Government of India to observe June 25th as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.[9]
Negative
Opposition MP Jairam Ramesh called it a Bharatiya Janata Party's headline grabbing exercise and a hypocrisy comparing it with ten years of service as PM (2014-2024) calling it 'undeclared Emergency'.[10][11]
