Balasaheb Backed Nation, Not Power: Eknath Shinde on Emergency’s 50th Anniversary

Mumbai: Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed in India on 25 June 1975, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the day was being observed as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day), reflecting on a dark chapter in Indian democracy.

Speaking to media in Mumbai, Shinde recalled the widespread arrests and suppression of dissent during the Emergency era. “Emergency was imposed on 25 June 1975, today it is completing 50 years and Samvidhan Hatya Diwas is being observed today… When people came out on the streets to protest against the emergency, they were put in jail,” he said.

Highlighting the role of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Shinde noted his outspoken stance during that time.
“Whatever Balasaheb Thackeray used to say, he used to say it openly, he had clearly said that if this emergency is for national interest then I support it and if it is to save someone’s chair, power, then I oppose it,” Shinde remarked.

He further added that when the press was muzzled under government orders, Balasaheb was the first to raise his voice.
“When the media was crushed, the first person to raise voice against it was Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said, praising the late leader’s commitment to democratic principles and freedom of expression.

The Emergency, declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, remains one of the most controversial episodes in Indian political history, during which civil liberties were suspended, and the press was heavily censored.