CHIEF MINISTER Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that amending the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency by adding the words “secular” and “socialist” was an “attack on the soul of India.”
Adityanath inaugurated a seminar titled ‘The Dark Chapter of Indian Democracy’ in Lucknow to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, observed by the BJP as “Constitution Murder Day.” He said, “The Congress should apologise to Dalits, underprivileged people and all citizens for the Emergency. The party had silenced the voices of those whom Babasaheb Ambedkar had empowered through his writings.”
The CM also announced the facility of cashless treatment for the “Loktantra Senanis” (those who fought for democracy during the Emergency) and their family members. He said that neither the Samajwadi Party nor the RJD had made any statement or social media post on “Constitution Murder Day.” Senior leaders of these parties once opposed Congress for strangling the Constitution and protested against Congress’ dictatorship. However, today those same leaders are bowing before Congress for their own interests, he added.
He said that these people talk about democracy and the Constitution, yet they embrace those who destroyed democratic values and insulted Ambedkar. Their “double standards” are dangerous for democracy, he said.
Yogi said that “dynastic parties such as the Congress, SP and RJD have no right to talk about the Constitution because whenever they got a chance, they suppressed democracy. “Today provides an opportunity to expose those people who, under the guise of democracy, shamefully sacrificed India’s values and ideals for their selfish interests. The Samajwadi Party, RJD, and their allied parties are following the same path,” he added.
CM said that every section of society had made countless sacrifices for democracy and the Constitution. Ambedkar, despite facing many humiliations, drafted the Constitution for India’s citizens with his intellect. Yet, Congress wasted no time in crushing that Constitution.
He reminded people that on June 25, 1975, Congress held the legislature, executive, and judiciary hostage. They silenced the media through censorship. Even then, many people dedicated themselves to saving democracy — over one lakh democracy fighters were jailed. Every section of society fought to protect democratic values.
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“The sin committed by Congress and then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25 to stay in power will never be forgotten. One family turned the dreams of great freedom fighters into tools for their narrow political ambitions. Even today, there are people living under the shadow of that family,” the CM added.
He recalled a slogan — “Tera Vaibhav Amar Rahe Maa, Hum Din Char Rahe Na Rahe” (May your glory live forever, Mother India. Even if we live only a few days). But Congress shattered this resolve with its slogan, “Meri Satta Banhi Rahe, Chahe Loktantra Rahe Na Rahe” (Let my power last, even if democracy doesn’t).
The CM also pointed out that keeping Babasaheb Ambedkar away from Parliament in 1952, declaring the Emergency in 1975, the 1984 massacre of Sikhs, and Rahul Gandhi tearing up an ordinance in 2013 were all anti-democratic acts. These actions insulted the feelings of freedom fighters and revealed Congress’ true character, he said.
