News Brief
Kuldeep Negi
Jul 12, 2024, 05:05 PM | Updated 05:05 PM IST
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The government on Friday (12 July) announced that 25 June will be observed every year as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas', which roughly translates to 'Constitution Murder day'.
Making the announcement on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah posted a gazette notification and wrote, "On June 25, 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced".
"The Government of India has decided to observe the 25th of June every year as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.' This day will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency," he added.
In another X post, Shah said the decision made by the PM Modi-led government is intended to "honour the spirit of millions who struggled to revive democracy despite facing inexplicable persecution at the hands of an oppressive government".
"The observance of 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' will help keep the eternal flame of individual freedom and the defense of our democracy alive in every Indian, thus preventing dictatorial forces like the Congress from repeating those horrors," he added.
In a post on X, PM Modi said that observing 25 June as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas 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," he said.
Kuldeep is Senior Editor (Newsroom) at Swarajya. He tweets at @kaydnegi.