‘Direct attack on Constitution’: President invokes Emergency in Parliament
The President also mentioned how the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is aimed towards protecting the Constitution
New Delhi: A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla invoked Emergency in his address to the Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu, while addressing the joint session of Parliament on Thursday, also mentioned the Emergency, calling it the “biggest and the darkest” chapter in the history.
In her opening address of the 18th Lok Sabha, Murmu said that the Emergency, imposed by the then Congress government in 1975, was “a direct attack on the Constitution and a source of chaos and panic in the country”.
“Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975, was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India,” she said.
“The Constitution of India withstood all hurdles that came its way when it was being formulated and implemented. It also overcame attacks that it faced after independence, in the form of the National Emergency imposed in the country 50 years ago,” Murmu said.
She also mentioned how the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is aimed towards protecting the Constitution. “My government does not view the Constitution just as a source of maintaining law and order but we want it to enter public consciousness. We are working towards that.”
“With this very objective in mind, my government has started celebrating November 26 as Constitution Day,” Murmu noted.
The Emergency was imposed on midnight of 25-26 June 1975 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This year marks the 49th anniversary of the imposition of National Emergency.
(with PTI inputs)