Shiv Sena (UBT) ridiculed the Centre’s decision to observe June 25, the anniversary of the 1975 Emergency declaration, as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day). They accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misleading people due to its lack of parliamentary majority.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut expressed his criticism during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha in New Delhi on June 26, 2024. Speaking to ANI, Raut stated that Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had supported the Emergency, which was imposed to prevent anarchy and bomb-making in the country.
“They (BJP) have no work left. It has been 50 years, and people have forgotten the Emergency,” Raut said, emphasizing that the Emergency was necessary for national security. He argued that even Atal Bihari Vajpayee would have imposed it under the same circumstances, given the threats to national stability.
BJP leader Ajay Alok dismissed Raut’s remarks as “meaningless and pointless,” asserting the importance of remembering June 25, 1975. He emphasized that the day should educate current and future generations about the suspension of constitutional rights at that time.
A gazette notification issued by the Union home ministry noted the Emergency’s declaration and the subsequent abuse of power and atrocities against the Indian people. It declared June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to honor those who suffered and fought against the abuse of power and to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The announcement sparked political controversy, with Congress calling it another “headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
