Democracy Under Siege: Remembering the Emergency and Present Threats

Union Minister Ajay Tamta on Thursday slammed the then Indira Gandhi-led Congress government, accusing it of undermining democracy by imposing the Emergency in 1975. He called it a 'murder of democracy' during a press briefing in Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas.

Tamta highlighted that democracy is currently endangered in West Bengal under Trinamool Congress governance, citing public desire for change in the 2026 Assembly elections. He described widespread press censorship, arrests without trial, and the curtailing of dissent in academia and politics during the 1975 Emergency.

The BJP-led central government has decided to observe June 25 as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas', commemorating the 'massive contributions' of those who faced 'inhuman pain' during the Emergency period. Thousands of opposition members, journalists, and citizens were jailed in an effort to suppress democratic movements in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)