President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that the imposition of Emergency in 1975 was the "biggest and darkest chapter" of direct attack on the Constitution, adding that the country emrged victorious over such unconstitutional forces.
She made the remark while her address to the joint session of the Parliament after the formation of 18th Lok Sabha where she said there were powers in the world who were hoping that India would fail when the Constitution was being drafted.
Even after the Constitution came into force, there were several attacks on the Constitution, she noted.
"Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975 was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India," she said.
Her remark was followed by noisy protests by some opposition members when she referred to the Emergency in her address. However, she did not name any leader.
President Murmu made the comment after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the imposition of Emergency a black spot in the history of India. He also attacked the Congress saying that the 1975-77 Emergency is a reminder of how the Congress party, when in power, subverted freedoms and trampled over the Constitution.
"Just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with the Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections," said PM Modi on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency on Tuesday.
Vice President Jagdepep Dhankhar also said that the biggest democracy of the world had gone in the dark in 1975, adding "In any circumstances, India will not see such a day."