P Chidambaram acknowledges Emergency as a mistake amid NDA's observance of 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has publicly acknowledged that the Emergency, imposed in 1975, was a mistake, a sentiment that was also accepted by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His remarks come in response to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's decision to observe June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.

In an interview with ANI, Chidambaram questioned the relevance of revisiting historical events, stating, "Why is the BJP not going back to the 18th or 17th century? Seventy-five percent of Indians living today were born after 1975. The Emergency was a mistake, and it was accepted by Indira Gandhi. We have amended the Constitution so that an emergency cannot be imposed so easily." He emphasized that lessons have been learned and that it is unproductive to debate the rights and wrongs of the Emergency five decades later.

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The NDA's announcement to mark 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' has sparked significant backlash, with opposition parties criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on 'X' (formerly Twitter), accused the government of undermining the Constitution daily for the past decade, stating, "In the last 10 years, your government has celebrated 'Constitution Murder Day' every day. You have snatched away the self-respect of every poor and deprived section of the country every moment."

Echoing the opposition's sentiments, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of attempting to divert public attention from its anti-people policies during a press conference. The political discourse surrounding the anniversary of the Emergency highlights the continuing contentiousness of this historical period in India's political landscape.