NEW DELHI, 25 June — On the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the anti-Emergency resistance as a powerful reaffirmation of India’s commitment to democracy and announced a new book chronicling his underground role during that time.
Speaking on Samvidhan Hatya Diwas, the day now designated by the Centre to mark the suspension of constitutional rights under Indira Gandhi’s rule, Modi recalled his formative years as a young Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteer in 1975 and the deep political lessons he learned during that turbulent period.
“When the Emergency was imposed, I was a young RSS Pracharak,” Modi said. “The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum.”
Marking the occasion, the Prime Minister unveiled The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader, published by BlueKraft Digital Foundation. The book, based on firsthand accounts and archival materials, details Modi’s covert work in the underground movement against the Emergency and explores how the experience shaped his political trajectory.
“I am glad that BlueKraft Digital Foundation has compiled some of those experiences in the form of a book,” Modi added. “The foreword has been penned by Shri H.D. Deve Gowda Ji, himself a stalwart of the anti-Emergency movement.”
According to the publisher, the book offers a “vivid picture of Narendra Modi fighting for the ideals of democracy” and contributes new scholarship on the formative years of a man who would later emerge as a “transformative leader.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is scheduled to release the book later in the day, also addressed the anniversary, calling the Emergency a dark chapter in India’s democratic history. “Emergency was the ‘Age of Injustice’ of Congress’s power lust,” Shah said. “This day tells us that when power becomes dictatorial, the people have the strength to overthrow it.”
Shah added that the Emergency, imposed on June 25, 1975, was not a response to national necessity but “a reflection of the anti-democratic mentality of the Congress and one person.” He denounced the curbing of press freedom, the subjugation of the judiciary, and the imprisonment of activists.
“Freedom of the press was crushed, the hands of the judiciary were tied and social workers were put in jail,” he said. “The countrymen raised the slogan of ‘vacate the throne’ and uprooted the dictatorial Congress. Heartfelt tribute to all the heroes who sacrificed their lives in this struggle.”
The book release and public statements come at a time when the BJP continues to invoke the legacy of Emergency-era resistance as a rallying point, particularly in the run-up to the 2027 general elections.