President Murmu calls Emergency biggest attack on Constitution in Parliament address

Digital Desk: President Droupadi Murmu, in her inaugural address to the 18th Lok Sabha, referred to the Emergency imposed in 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the "biggest attack" on the Constitution, describing it as the "darkest chapter" in Indian history. This declaration came during a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday.

Addressing the newly constituted Lok Sabha following general elections, President Murmu highlighted the chaos the country endured during the Emergency. She emphasized the importance of condemning any efforts to undermine democracy, calling for national unity against such threats. "Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the Emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers," she stated, receiving applause from ruling BJP members amid protests from the Opposition.

Murmu's speech highlighted the resilience of the Indian people against unconstitutional powers and called for vigilance against divisive forces. "Every attempt to tarnish our democracy should be condemned by all. Divisive forces are conspiring to weaken democracy, and create chasm in society from within and outside the country," she warned.

The Emergency, lasting from June 1975 to March 1977, was imposed by Indira Gandhi and sanctioned by then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution. The justification for this state of emergency was the presence of imminent internal and external threats to the nation.

Murmu's remarks came amid a heated exchange between the BJP and the Opposition regarding the Emergency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have frequently referenced the Emergency period to criticize the Congress, while Congress and its allies have countered by accusing the BJP-led NDA government of enforcing an "undeclared Emergency" over the past decade.

On the preceding day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, re-elected for a second term, also invoked the Emergency, criticizing it as a period when democratic values were crushed and freedom of expression strangled. Birla observed a two-minute silence to honor the memory of those who lost their lives during this period, which was met with strong protests from the Opposition.