New Delhi, June 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated the commitment to strengthening the principles in the Constitution and working together to realise the nation’s vision of a Viksit Bharat.

He said this on Wednesday while marking 50 years of the imposition of the Emergency in the country.

Taking to social media, PM Modi wrote on X that this day marks 50 years of one of the darkest chapters in India’s history when the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside.

“Today marks fifty years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished and several political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens were jailed.”

“It was as if the Congress Government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest!” said PM Modi.

He said the country salutes every person who stood up against the tyranny.

“We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency! These were the people from all over India, from all walks of life, from diverse ideologies who worked closely with each other with one aim: to protect India’s democratic fabric and to preserve the ideals for which our freedom fighters devoted their lives.”

The Prime Minister said in his post that it was their collective struggle that ensured that the then Congress government had to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which they badly lost.

Reiterating the commitment to the Constitution and its values, he said, “We also reiterate our commitment to strengthening the principles in our Constitution and working together to realise our vision of a Viksit Bharat.”

“May we scale new heights of progress and fulfil the dreams of the poor and downtrodden,” he added.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is observing the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which was imposed by the Indira Gandhi-led government in 1975, as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day).

The party has planned extensive outreach programmes at district and booth levels across the country to mark the day as a "dark chapter" in India's democratic history.

--IANS

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