‘Congress must apologise for violating Constitution’: CM on Emergency anniversary
At mock parliament, Sarma targets Congress lineage, says those behind Emergency cannot claim to uphold constitutional
Chief Minister during an exhibition in Dispur to mark 50 years of Emergency, on Wednesday. (Photo:@himantabiswa/X)
Guwahati, June 25: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, hit out at the Congress, saying the party must apologise to the people of India for violating the Constitution and imposing the Emergency on June 25, 1975.
Sarma was addressing a mock parliament session for youth, held at the Bhogeswari Phukanani Indoor Stadium in Dispur to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
“Till today, the British have expressed regret over the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. Several U.S. Presidents have apologised for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet, the Congress has never sought forgiveness from the people for destroying the democratic fabric of the country and violating the Constitution,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that the Congress should not take oaths in the name of the Constitution.
“Leaders whose families imposed the Emergency have no ethical or moral right to claim they will uphold the Constitution of India,” Sarma said.
He urged the youth to study the history of the Emergency in order to understand the excesses committed during that period.
“I appeal to the youth to read the (JC) Shah Commission reports and other scholarly material available on the Emergency so that this dark chapter is never forgotten. The future generation must ensure that such a period is never repeated—and that another Indira Gandhi is never born in this country,” he said.
Drawing parallels between the Emergency and the alleged destruction of India’s democratic heritage, Sarma also criticised the role of the judiciary during that time.
“We hail the Supreme Court as the guarantor of the Fundamental Rights enshrined in the Constitution. Yet, even the apex court surrendered to the then government and, in a 2:1 majority verdict, ruled that Article 21—guaranteeing protection of life and personal liberty—could remain suspended during the Emergency,” he noted.
Earlier on Wednesday, in a social media post to mark Samvidhan Hatya Diwas, the Chief Minister said that as the country marked 50 years since the Emergency, India paid tribute to the brave men and women who had stood firm to uphold the Constitution during those dark times.
“…It was solely due to their courageous efforts and valiant sacrifices that the Congress party was brought to its knees—marking the end of a shameful chapter in our history,” the post read.
In 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that the Modi government would observe June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas to honour those who endured “inhuman pain” and made “massive contributions” during the Emergency.