On the 50th anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a political showdown unfolded between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress on June 25.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the occasion by referring to it as a day when “democracy was placed under arrest,” and promoted a newly released book chronicling his experience as a young Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker during the Emergency.

Later in the evening, Union Home Minister Amit Shah formally released the book titled The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader, praising Modi’s underground activism during that period.

According to Shah, Modi disguised himself in multiple roles, including that of a sadhu and a newspaper vendor, while distributing anti-Emergency literature.

Shah described Modi’s political rise as “divine justice,” asserting that the 25-year-old who had fought against Indira Gandhi’s Emergency later brought down the same dynastic politics in 2014.

He emphasized the need to keep the memory of the Emergency alive to ensure that such an event is never repeated. He said the observance of June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day) was intended to remind future generations of the dangers to democracy.

Modi, in a series of posts on X, marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency by describing it as “one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.”

“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!” he wrote in one of the posts.

Modi paid tribute to those who resisted the Emergency, calling their defiance a “collective struggle” that ultimately forced the then-Congress government to restore democracy and hold fresh elections, which it “badly lost.”

Reaffirming his government's commitment to constitutional values, Modi added, “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.”

The Congress, meanwhile, dismissed the BJP’s observance as a political “drama.” Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing a press conference, accused the BJP of exploiting the Emergency anniversary to deflect public attention from its failures on inflation, unemployment, and corruption.

He questioned the BJP’s sudden interest in constitutional values, alleging that those who had historically rejected Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution were now posturing as its defenders.

Kharge also highlighted former PM Indira Gandhi’s support for the 44th Constitutional Amendment under the Morarji Desai government, which restricted the grounds for imposing Emergency to only instances of armed rebellion.

“Those who had once rejected the Constitution, claiming it lacked elements of Indian culture and the Manusmriti, have now suddenly become enlightened—just when the Congress has been conducting a ‘Samvidhan Bachao Yatra’ for the past year. This has rattled the BJP, which is why it is now talking about the Emergency imposed 50 years ago,” he said.

“Those who have failed in governance have done so to such an extent that people are now deeply concerned about inflation, while the government has no answers to pressing issues like unemployment, corruption, and economic failure,” he added.

Congress also issued a statement warning of a “systematic and dangerous” assault on Indian democracy under the current regime, which it labelled as “Undeclared Emergency@11,” referring to the eleven years of Modi’s rule.

Other opposition leaders echoed the sentiment. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that India is now witnessing an undeclared emergency enforced through majoritarianism.

“The declaration of Emergency in 1975 was not a spontaneous event, but the culmination of tyrannical tendencies that surfaced in independent India. 50 years have gone by, and today we’re facing an undeclared emergency under the Sangh Parivar regime, enforced through majoritarianism. Haunting memories of the Emergency should empower us to fight against the oppressive forces that challenge the essence of our democracy today,” he wrote on X.

Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha urged that the anniversary should serve as a mirror to reflect on the state of democracy today.

“There is no doubt that 25 June 1975 marks a dark chapter in our democracy. Yet, when we commemorate that day, it should not be viewed merely as a bygone episode but rather used as a mirror,” he told IANS.

As BJP supporters put up posters and organized events to commemorate the day, and states were urged to observe ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas,’ the clash over the legacy and meaning of Emergency continues to shape the political discourse, with both the ruling party and the opposition drawing contrasting lessons from history.