Agartala, June 25, 2025: Tripura Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha on Wednesday termed June 25, 1975, the day Emergency was imposed in India as a “dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy,” accusing the then Congress-led government of subverting the Constitution and civil liberties.

Speaking at the Chhaya Sangsad (Mock Parliament) organized by the Tripura unit of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) at Sukanta Academy Auditorium in Agartala, the Chief Minister said, “On this day 50 years ago, the soul of the Constitution was stained with blood. The Emergency was not only a political blunder but a brutal assault on the rights of ordinary citizens, the press, students, and political leaders.”

The event was attended by BJP State President Rajib Bhattacharjee, BJYM State President Sushanta Deb and other senior party leaders.

Dr. Saha highlighted how the Emergency, declared on June 25, 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, resulted in the suspension of fundamental rights, arrests of opposition leaders, censorship of the press, and a general climate of fear.

“The 38th to 42nd Constitutional Amendments were imposed during that period without proper democratic process. The Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was used to jail thousands without trial, and the federal structure was badly undermined,” the Chief Minister said.

The Mock Parliament was held as a symbolic remembrance of the 21-month Emergency, aimed at educating the youth about its impact on democratic institutions. Chief Minister Saha also called upon the younger generation to remain vigilant against any attempt to “distort or suppress democratic values.”