Amit Shah Urges Nation to Remember Emergency, Warns Against Repeat

In a politically charged address marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took aim at the Congress and its allies, stating that it was “critical to keep the memory of the Emergency alive” to ensure that such a grave “assault on democracy” is never repeated.

Speaking at a public event in Delhi, Shah revisited the 21-month period when civil liberties were suspended, opposition leaders jailed, and the press censored. The Emergency, declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, remains one of the most controversial chapters in independent India’s history — and one that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to use as a potent political symbol.

"Emergency Was Not Just a Historical Event — It Was a Warning"

Amit Shah’s speech was both commemorative and combative. “The Emergency was not merely a mistake or a misjudgment,” he said. “It was a deliberate and calculated attack on the Constitution, on the people’s rights, and on the spirit of democracy.”

He emphasized that remembering the Emergency was not about holding grudges but about learning lessons. “If we forget those dark days, we risk walking into them again,” he warned. “We must remind the youth that democracy is not inherited — it is protected through vigilance and participation.”

Shah directly blamed the Congress party for using state machinery to suppress dissent. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, he suggested that the Congress leadership today has failed to fully acknowledge the crimes of that era. “They may change faces, adopt new slogans, and form alliances, but the mindset that allowed for such tyranny remains,” he asserted.

A Broader Message for Today’s Politics

Though the speech marked the 50th year of the Emergency, it was also an unmistakable response to current political narratives. With the opposition INDIA bloc increasingly vocal against the Modi government, Shah used the opportunity to question the democratic credentials of Congress and its partners.

“Those who imposed Emergency are today lecturing us on democracy and freedom,” Shah said. “They talk of saving the Constitution, yet they were the ones who trampled upon it.”

He pointed to the arrests of opposition leaders during 1975–77, the suspension of elections, and the press censorship as examples of authoritarianism. “What happened in 1975 was not just political — it was moral collapse,” Shah declared. “And those who remained silent then have no right to speak for democracy today.”

Congress Responds

Even before Shah’s speech concluded, Congress leaders hit back. Party spokespersons accused the BJP of weaponizing the past to distract from present-day issues such as unemployment, inflation, and erosion of institutional autonomy.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on social media: “We do not deny the mistakes of the past. But what we see today is a creeping emergency in the name of nationalism, where dissent is crushed, media is intimidated, and institutions are compromised.”

However, the BJP dismissed these counter-allegations, arguing that the Modi government has only strengthened democratic institutions and ensured free and fair elections at every level.

Emergency as a Political Touchstone

Since coming to power in 2014, the BJP has repeatedly invoked the Emergency to contrast itself with the Congress era. The narrative of a strong but democratic leadership has been central to the Modi-Shah political strategy. Every year, June 25 — the date on which Emergency was declared — is marked by BJP leaders across the country through events, social media campaigns, and speeches.

Shah’s remarks this year, however, carried extra weight due to the current political scenario. With general elections behind and state elections approaching, the BJP appears determined to remind voters of what it calls “the Congress culture of authoritarianism.”

A Generation That Must Know

A key part of Shah’s message was directed at the younger generation — many of whom were born decades after the Emergency. He emphasized the importance of including the episode in school textbooks, films, and public discourse.

“The youth must know that thousands of citizens were jailed without charge, that newspapers had to submit every article for approval, and that the judiciary came under unprecedented pressure,” Shah said. “This is not fiction. This is India’s history.”

He added that remembering the Emergency was not about politics but about preserving a national commitment to liberty. “If a nation forgets its darkest hour, it is bound to repeat it,” he said solemnly.

Beyond Congress: Targeting the Opposition Bloc

While Shah’s focus remained on the Congress, he also took veiled shots at other INDIA bloc parties. “Today’s alliances are built not on principles but on ambition,” he remarked. “Many of those aligning with Congress today once fought against the Emergency. What changed? Power. Nothing more.”

He suggested that these alliances were an opportunistic arrangement to halt BJP’s momentum, but lacked ideological coherence. “When the only agenda is to stop one man, and not to serve the people, democracy suffers,” he added, in reference to the opposition’s anti-Modi stand.

Remembering the Fighters

In the latter part of his speech, Shah paid tribute to leaders, journalists, and activists who resisted the Emergency. He mentioned names like Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Lal Krishna Advani — all of whom spent time in jail during that period.

He also praised the resilience of ordinary citizens who stood firm in the face of fear. “The Emergency failed because the people of India refused to be silenced,” he said. “That spirit of resistance is what we celebrate today.”

While the Emergency remains a powerful historical reference, its relevance to present-day politics continues to spark debate. Critics argue that constant invocation of the past distracts from pressing issues today, while the BJP believes that it serves as a reminder of what happens when democratic institutions are undermined.

For Shah and the BJP, the Emergency is more than just history — it is a warning, a political marker, and a rallying cry.

In closing, Shah said: “Democracy is not merely elections. It is freedom of speech, of belief, and of action. It is our responsibility — as leaders, citizens, and educators — to ensure that the lessons of the Emergency are never forgotten, and never repeated.”