Congress slams government's Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas move

The Congress on Friday, 12 July, slammed the government's move to declare 25 June, the day the Emergency was declared in 1975, as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' as yet another "headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taking a swipe at the decision, the opposition party also said that from now on, every year on 8 November, the day when demonetisation was announced in 2016, the people of India will celebrate "Aajivika Hatya Diwas" and a gazette notification will also be issued soon.

The Congress' reaction came after Union home minister Amit Shah announced that the government has decided to observe 25 June as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' to commemorate the "massive contributions" of those who endured inhuman pains during the period.

Congress general secretary (in-charge, communications), Jairam Ramesh said, "Yet another headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy by the non-biological PM who had imposed an undeclared Emergency for ten long years before the people of India handed him a decisive personal, political, and moral defeat on 4 June 2024 - which will go down in history as Modi Mukti Diwas."

"This is a non-biological PM who has subjected the Constitution of India and its principles, values, and institutions to systematic assault," Ramesh said on X.

"This is a non-biological PM whose ideological parivar had rejected the Constitution of India in Nov 1949 on the grounds that it did not derive inspiration from Manusmriti. This is a non-biological PM for whom democracy means only demo-kursi," the Congress leader said.

Later, Ramesh also shared the video from Prime Minister Modi's 8 November 2016 speech when he announced demonetisation.

"From now on, every year on 8th November, people of India will celebrate 'Aajivika Hatya Diwas (Livelihood Killing Day)'. Its gazette notification will also be issued soon," Ramesh said in another post on X.

A gazette notification issued on Friday by the Union Home Ministry notes that Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, following which there was "gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities".

The people of India have abiding faith in the Constitution and the power of its resilient democracy, it said.

"Therefore, Government of India declares 25 June as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future," says the notification.