On the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in India, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on the Congress party through a sharply worded article published in a leading newspaper. Recalling the dark days of June 25, 1975, Fadnavis accused the Congress, especially the Gandhi family, of trampling democracy, undermining the Constitution, and pushing the nation to the brink of dictatorship.
“To the Congress that trampled on democracy...” wrote Fadnavis, setting the tone for his critique. In his article, he stated that the Emergency was not a matter of pride but a dark stain on India’s democratic legacy. “Today marks 50 years of a chapter that should never have been written. How can we call this a jubilee? Jubilees are for celebration, not for mourning the death of constitutional values,” he wrote.
Fadnavis detailed the personal impact the Emergency had on his own family. “I was only five years old when my father, D. Gangadharrao Fadnavis, was arrested. We could only meet him briefly—either when delivering food to the jail or during his medical check-ups. The long separation at such a young age made me angry,” he said.
He highlighted how thousands of families across India were torn apart, many losing their breadwinners to jail sentences, and others falling into debt. “The Emergency caused mental and financial trauma to countless citizens,” Fadnavis wrote.
The Deputy CM also stressed how the post-Emergency era made people realize the true importance of democratic institutions. “It was only after the Emergency that citizens began to fully appreciate the value of the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. Faith in the Constitution was rekindled.”
He issued a stark warning about the potential consequences if citizens and leaders had not stood up to the Emergency. “Had those leaders not fought back, India might have ended up like Pakistan—under dictatorship. The democracy we enjoy today is a result of the brave resistance shown by those who opposed the Emergency.”
Fadnavis concluded by stating that the more the stories of oppression during the Emergency emerge, especially those involving the Gandhi family and the Congress, the stronger Indian democracy will become. “Let us not forget what was done, and by whom. Only then can we ensure that such a chapter is never repeated.”