The central government has named June 25 as "Samvidhaan Hatya Divas" to remember the "inhuman pain" of those jailed during the Emergency started on this day in 1975.

“Prime Minister Indira Gandhi silenced Indian democracy's soul by imposing the Emergency on June 25, 1975. She showed her dictatorial mindset. Many people were jailed without reason, and the media was silenced. The government decided to observe June 25 as Samvidhaan Hatya Divas. This day will honor the sacrifice of those who suffered inhuman pain during the 1975 Emergency,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a post on X on Friday.

"Samvidhaan Hatya Divas" translates to "the day the Constitution was murdered."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi supported Shah’s post, saying June 25 would honor those “who suffered due to the Emergency's harsh actions, a dark period in Indian history caused by Congress.”

“Observing June 25 as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas will remind us what happens when the Indian Constitution is trampled. It is also a day to honor each person who suffered due to the Emergency's harsh actions, a dark period in Indian history caused by Congress,” he added in his post.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's announcement came during a debate about the Constitution. During the recent Lok Sabha elections campaign, the Congress said PM Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not respect the Indian Constitution and would change it if they won a third term. The BJP strongly rejected this.

In the end, the BJP won 240 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, 32 short of a majority. But the NDA, which includes the BJP, got a comfortable majority with 293 seats, allowing PM Modi to secure a historic third term. The Congress increased its seats to 99 (from 52 in 2019).

Feeling encouraged, the Congress kept focusing on the Constitution. In the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha in June, party members and some allies took the oath holding the Constitution.

In response, PM Modi said during the session that the Congress party, which once imposed the Emergency, had no right to claim love for the Constitution. In the Lok Sabha, as India marked the 49th anniversary of the Emergency, Speaker Om Birla called it the darkest chapter in India’s history, leading to protests by the Congress and some allies.