BJP posted a series of visuals and video clips

New Delhi, June 25 (HS): On the 48th anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's declaration of The Emergency in 1975, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top party and cabinet colleagues paid tribute to those who opposed the "dark days of emergency" today. The prime minister described the 21-month era as a "unforgettable period" in our history that was "totally opposite" to constitutional ideals. "I pay tribute to all those brave people who stood up to the Emergency and worked to strengthen our democratic spirit. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remain an unforgettable period in our history, completely opposite to the values our Constitution celebrates," the PM, who has himself been accused by multiple Opposition parties of imposing a "undeclared emergency," tweeted.

The Bharatiya Janata Party tweeted an image of Indira Gandhi with the phrase "the darkest chapter of Indian democracy. 1975 Emergency: A Horrible Saga of Trampling the Temple of Democracy!" the party captioned the image.

Union Minister Smriti Irani released a five-minute video with the hashtag. #DarkDaysOfEmergency narrating the events leading up to The Emergency and the brutalities committed by the Congress government during the era. "Freedom of the press was suffocated, and the arms of the judiciary were severed," it stated. The video clip combines archive footage from the time period with a passionate voiceover and is slickly produced with provocative text.

"Torture, imprisonment, murder, stifling the free press's voice - the 25th of June 1975 symbolises all of these things and more. Watch this video to show what the Congress party is capable of! "#DarkDaysOfEmergency," tweeted the minister. union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted a two-minute clip from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' in which he discusses alleged crimes against democratic supporters. "The emergency declared by an insecure and authoritarian ruler on June 25, 1975, will be remembered as a crushing blow to democracy and human rights. It also highlights a specific family's and political outfit's arrogance and desire to maintain power," Puri tweeted.

Several other ministers have decried the "dark days for democracy," including Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju, Prahlad Joshi, Nitin Gadkari, former minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, among others. The official Twitter account of the BJP posted a series of visuals and video clips emphasising various aspects of The Emergency.

Hindusthan Samachar/Abhishek Awasthi