Picture for representation | Photo Credit: BCCL

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold June 25 as 'Black Day' to mark the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency. This was the day when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had declared a state of Emergency in India in 1975. The decision to hold protests was taken in a meeting of the core committee which had also planned a list of programmes for the day.

The Emergency was officially issued by the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution due of the prevailing “internal disturbance”. The Emergency was in effect from June 25, 1975, until its withdrawal on March 21, 1977.

At least 25 Union ministers are reportedly expected to participate in the ‘Black Day’ programme. In the past on numerous occasions, the BJP has attacked the Congress over this move, terming it as “undemocratic”.

In his monthly radio programme 'Mann ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said it was essential to remember the incidents which have caused harm to democracy. He had said the Emergency was the darkest time in the history of India.

Considered as one of the most controversial periods of independent India, Emergency led to protests and strikes across the country. Indira had invoked Article 352 of the Constitution to grant herself 'extraordinary powers'. During the 21-month period, elections were suspended and civil liberties curbed. Censuring of the media and forced sterilisation drives also took place during the period.

The decision to impose an emergency was based on the rationale that there were imminent internal and external threats to national security. Indira had imposed the Emergency after the Allahabad HC and subsequently, the Supreme Court found her election to the Lok Sabha 'null and void'.

Opposition leaders such as Jaiprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani were put behind bars during the period.