Cabinet Condemns Emergency, PM Modi Says It's Our Duty To Ensure Thriving Democracy

Last Updated:June 25, 2025, 15:04 IST

PM Modi told his cabinet colleagues that today's generation must understand the perils of the Emergency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Image: PTI file)

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday passed a resolution to condemn the imposition of Emergency in 1975 by then prime minister Indira Gandhi. The resolution was followed by two minutes of silence in memory of those who lost their lives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his cabinet colleagues that today’s generation must understand the perils of the Emergency, and that it is our duty to ensure a strong and thriving democracy, according to government sources.

In a post on X on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, PM Modi recalled the suppression of civil liberties, including the arrest of opposition leaders and activists besides the censorship on media, and said it was as if the then Congress government had put democracy under arrest.

A book chronicling PM Modi’s role in the Emergency was also released today. PM Modi said the Emergency period was a learning experience for him and reaffirmed the vitality of preserving the democratic framework.

‘The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader’, which highlights Modi’s fight for the “the ideals of democracy", is published by BlueKraft.

Modi said the book chronicles his journey during the Emergency years. It brought back many memories from that time, he said.

He said on X, “I call upon all those who remember those dark days of the Emergency or those whose families suffered during that time to share their experiences on social media. It will create awareness among the youth of the shameful time from 1975 to 1977." The prime minister recalled that he was a young RSS pracharak during the period.

The Emergency in India lasted for 21 months, from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, and this June 25 marks the 50th anniversary of its imposition.

On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi announced the imposition of the Emergency in a broadcast on All India Radio, shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay to an Allahabad High Court verdict declaring her election to the Lok Sabha null and void. It was lifted on March 21, 1977.

News india Cabinet Condemns Emergency, PM Modi Says It's Our Duty To Ensure Thriving Democracy