Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File Image | Photo courtesy: PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Said on Thursday (June 25, 2026) Emergency was a direct attack on the Constitution This period saw the suspension of civil liberties, restrictions on freedom of expression, and attacks on the institutions that are the basis of Indian democracy.
Review of emergency through images
Architect of the Emergency: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed when she called on him on August 21, 1974. Mrs. Ahmed is on the left. On the advice of his cabinet, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a state of emergency under Article 352, citing “internal disturbances”. Photo: The Hindu Archives
The march that shocked Smt. Gandhi: In October 1974, socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, while leading an anti-corruption movement in Bihar, was seen sitting outside the closed gate of the Patna Secretariat. As JP began visiting more states, he also united many anti-Congress parties and protests against the Indira Gandhi government increased, which was seen as a major reason for recommending emergency. Photo: The Hindu Archives
JP’s Movement: JP led the ‘March to Parliament’ in Delhi in March 1975. His movement led to the end of Congress rule at the Center for the first time in 1977. Various political parties came together under the banner of his Janata Party to provide the country with the first non-Congress government. Photo: The Hindu Archives
Gujarat rebellion: Morarji Desai (centre) sits on an indefinite fast to press for early elections in Gujarat. Elections were held in June and for the first and only time, Gujarat resulted in a hung assembly. Emergency was imposed two weeks later.
Railway strike: This image, which later became a symbol of the state of emergency, was taken when trade union leader George Fernandes was arrested during the all-India railway strike in May 1974. Fernandes had led the movement demanding wage revision and eight-hour work shifts for railway employees. Despite his arrest, about 70% of railway employees remained away from work, bringing the country’s largest public sector undertaking to a standstill.
Lost a legal battle: Indira Gandhi lost a legal battle in the Allahabad High Court on a petition by Raj Narayan (pictured) challenging her election from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in 1971. The punishment means that she will no longer be an MP.
Emergency imposed: The front page of The Hindu of June 26, 1975 reports the President declaring emergency.
When a Chief Minister protested: Karunanidhi, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, distributed handmade pamphlets to the public near the Anna statue in Mount Road to protest against press censorship during the Emergency. On July 12, 1975, he addressed a mass meeting at Marina Beach, Madras, declaring that there was neither internal nor external threat to India and called upon the huge gathering to take a pledge to defend its independence. Later his government was dismissed. This image was taken from a photo display at Kalaignar Karuvulam. Photo: M Vedan
The story of the overlooked: When JP was addressing a meeting in Vijayawada against the Emergency in 1975, three young men – Yalamanchali Shivaji, Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad and Kambhampati Hari Babu – can be seen. All of them later became MPs. Sitting in the audience, but the click missed a youth, who was one of the many arrested for protesting against the Emergency. He was M. Venkaiah Naidu, who later became the Vice President of India. Dr. Shivaji has shared this picture with The Hindu. Photo: Special Arrangement
DMK had to face resentment: Young DMK leaders MK Stalin, Arcot Veerasamy, Murasoli Maran were among those detained in MISA. C. Chittibab, former mayor of Madras, died in custody while protecting Stalin. The photo shows the cell in the then Madras Central Jail where Chief Minister MK Stalin was detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act during the Emergency.
Government Story: In this image shared by the Press Information Bureau, some members of the Indian community in London meet Indira Gandhi in New Delhi on September 15, 1975. He took part in mass demonstrations in support of the emergency measures and against distortions by the British press and the BBC. Photo: Special Arrangement
Janata Sarkar: Morarji Desai (left) talking to LK Advani (right) while Jayaprakash Narayan looks on, in New Delhi on January 22, 1977. Given his political views this picture was not possible before the Emergency. But anti-Congress leaders joined hands to form the Janata government, leading to the Congress’s first defeat at the Centre. Moraji Desai became Prime Minister, Lal Krishna Advani became Minister of Information and Broadcasting, while JP decided to stay away from electoral politics. Photo: The Hindu Archives
End of Emergency: Indira Gandhi called fresh elections in March 1977 and released all political prisoners. The photograph shows Ms Gandhi meeting leaders of opposition parties in New Delhi on January 28, 1977.
Rise of new leaders: The Emergency gave rise to a new wave of politicians, of which Chandrashekhar was a prominent face. He and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was a minister in the Janata government, eventually became Prime Ministers.
Stringent laws: George Fernandes and Mulayam Singh Yadav seen attending a function to commemorate political prisoners of Emergency in Lucknow on 26 June 2006. Both the leaders were arrested during the period when the notorious Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was in force. The act allows for indefinite detention of people without warrant.
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Paying tribute to all those who steadfastly defended democratic values ​​during one of the “darkest chapters in India’s history”, Prime Minister Modi said the Emergency also highlighted the extraordinary courage of countless citizens who refused to be silenced and upheld the ideals enshrined in the Constitution.
Referring to the declaration of Emergency on the same day in 1975, he said in a post on
The Prime Minister said that for the people the Constitution symbolizes the aspirations, rights and duties of 140 crore Indians.
He said, “We reaffirm our collective commitment to protect constitutional values. Guided by the spirit of our Constitution, we will build an India that will always be committed to justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.”
Between June 25, 1975, and March 21, 1977, India was placed under a state of emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution.
From 2025, Narendra Modi government is celebrating this day as ‘Constitution Murder Day’.
A Gazette notification to this effect stated that the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, following “gross abuse of power by the Government of that time and excesses and atrocities committed against the people of India”.
In another post on Twitter, the Prime Minister said the ‘Constitution Murder Day’ also reminds everyone of the “dark period” when “Indian democracy was brutally crushed”.
“This inspires us to always remain committed to protecting democracy, the Constitution and the rights of citizens. My respectful salute to all the stalwarts who opposed the Emergency,” he said in the post in Hindi.
The formal declaration of Emergency marked a turning point in Indian constitutional history. The executive acquired overriding powers, and state authority was brought under central control.
Following the proclamation, constitutional safeguards were systematically suspended.
The Emergency saw strict control of the press and public information through institutional mechanisms and administrative orders.
Parliament passed a series of constitutional amendments during the Emergency that weakened judicial review and institutional checks. One of the most controversial aspects of the Emergency was the forced sterilization campaign.
The Emergency formally ended in March 1977, following political changes resulting from the general elections.
published – June 25, 2026 11:08 am IST
