Bhopal, June 25 (AHN) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday observed the 51st anniversary of the Emergency as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' (Constitution Murder Day) across Madhya Pradesh, with party leaders recalling the suspension of civil liberties during the 1975-77 period and accusing the Congress of undermining democratic institutions for political survival.

A series of programmes were organised in Bhopal and other districts to commemorate those who were jailed, censored or persecuted during the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975.

Senior BJP leaders, party workers and former detainees participated in discussions, tribute meetings and public outreach campaigns highlighting what the party described as the 'darkest phase' in India's democratic journey.

In Rewa, senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said the Emergency remains a reminder of how democratic institutions can be weakened when power becomes concentrated in the hands of a few.

Mishra told reporters that the Emergency was not just a political decision but an assault on the spirit of the Constitution. He said it reflected the Congress's authoritarian mindset and its belief that political power stood above democratic institutions and constitutional values.

The Emergency was declared following a period of political unrest and mounting opposition to the Indira Gandhi government. Civil liberties were suspended, elections were deferred, and strict censorship was imposed on newspapers.

Thousands of opposition leaders, journalists and activists were detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), which empowered authorities to arrest individuals without trial. Many political leaders who later emerged as prominent national figures spent months in prison during the period.

The Emergency was lifted in March 1977, after which the Congress suffered a historic electoral defeat at the hands of the Janata Party.

At the BJP's main programme in Bhopal, speakers paid tribute to democracy activists and MISA detainees who resisted the Emergency despite arrests and restrictions. Leaders stressed the need to preserve constitutional institutions and ensure that democratic freedoms are never compromised.

Mishra said the younger generation must understand the significance of the Emergency and the sacrifices made by those who opposed it.

He added that fundamental rights were curtailed, dissent was suppressed, and the press was subjected to censorship, and remembering those events is essential to safeguarding democracy in the future.

The BJP has intensified its campaign around the Emergency in recent years, projecting it as a defining example of the Congress's alleged disregard for democratic norms. Party leaders at Thursday's events reiterated that the lessons of 1975 remain relevant in contemporary political discourse and should continue to serve as a warning against any attempt to weaken constitutional freedoms.