By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Government of India led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is observing June 25, 2025, as the first Savmidhan Hatya Diwas (the Day of Killing the Constitution of India), to remember the day of proclamation of emergency at midnight of June 25, 1975 in the country by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. It presents an irony – the Constitution of India has always been under threat from the power – whether it was 1975 under PM Indira Gandhi or 50 years later in 2025 under PM Narendra Modi. Hence, it is an occasion to beware of Narendra Modi led government’s Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, since he represents RSS clan which has a long-cherished dream of killing the Constitution of India by replacing it by Hindu Rashtra.
“Samvidhaan Hatya” is just a hype, since the Constitution of India, has never been killed despite grave violations of its provisions. It was neither killed in 1975, not it was reborn anytime later. Even PM Modi has indirectly accepted when he talked about “BR Ambedkar’s Constitution”. It is under that Constitution, India is still being governed since its adoption on November 26, 1949, and came into effect since January 26, 1950. It is under this Constitution of India, even PM Narendra Modi is Prime minister of India. Is it then not a hype to compare some ‘grave violation’ to ‘killing’ of the Constitution of India. Whence the word ‘killing’ came from? There is a term ‘reverse psychology’, that explains that the word ‘killing’ had come from their own heart, that cherishes a dream to kill the ‘secular democratic federal Constitution of India’ and replace it by ‘Hindutva despotic centralized’ constitution.
It is under this general background, in which the people in power are trying to cloak themselves, and their numerous anti-Constitutional activities under the garb of this observance called Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, it is a matter of serious concern for the common people. The threat is from the power itself.
Gazette notification to observe Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas was made on July 11, 2024, when Modi government was under serious attack from the entire opposition for causing miscarriage of numerous provisions of the Constitution of India under his rule since 2014. Since, the Congress was leading the INDIA bloc, was in the forefront of the attack on PM Narendra Modi led government, the Modi government decided to observe Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, to humiliate the current Congress leadership, and to undermine the legacy of Congress, in the freedom movement and development of India after independence of India.
The politics thus goes on, and the hype can be seen even in the gazette notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs. “Whereas, a proclamation of Emergency was made on 25th June, 1975, following which there was gross abuse of power by the Government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities; And whereas, people of India abiding faith in the Constitution of India and the power of India’s resilient democracy; Therefore, Government of India declares 25th June as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future.” One can see in the text that “Samvidhaan Hatya” word is not well supported by the content of the gazette itself. It was an official notification and hence free from use of the word “Congress” or “Indira Gandhi”.
Nevertheless, on the very next day of the notification PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shat spoke on party line. The purpose in the notification was “to commit the people of India to not support in any manner … gross abuse of power, in future”. However, PM’s and HM’s statement indicated the real purpose as “not to support the Congress”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who have a dream of “Congress Mukta Bharat” spilled the bean. He talked about “the excess of the Emergency, a Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history.” And Union Home Minister said about “the then PM Indira Gandhi, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy … Lakhs of people thrown behind bars … and the voice of the media was silenced.”
Therefore, the real purpose of “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” is to run political campaign against the Congress. What have been said by the RSS-BJP leaders today during the first observance of the “Samvidhaan Hatay Diwas” were targeted against the Congress implying that people must not support such party that brought emergency in the past.
RSS-BJP leaders have a particular characteristic – they live either in the glory of the ancient past, or live in a dream of the future. For every evil during their rule, they blame the past rulers, while go on whatever they want to do even against the provision of the Constitution of India. There can be numerous examples of that.
Take the example of secularism, enshrined under the Constitution of India. RSS clan talk about Hindutva, and mislead people that secular forces are pseudo-secular, while they are real secular. RSS did not participate even in the Quit India Movement, and when India became independent, even the national flag was not unfurled in the RSS headquarters for most of the years in the independent India. Now they are teaching us what is nationalism, and even they campaigned for “Ghar Ghar Tiranga”. They don’t respect the constitution of India, when they give a call for Hindu Rashtra.
Hate speech is their modus operandi of winning the elections, by polarizing Hindus in their favour. And what about the Election Commission of India? ECI’s autonomy has been compromised through legal interventions and provisions made by the government. Constitutional protection is not given to two of the three Commissioners. Several election process data are not even been shared with the opposition, that led the Leader of the Opposition to allege “match fixing”. Electoral bond implemented by Modi government was found by the Supreme Court of India to be unconstitutional.
Supreme Court of India has criticized Modi government on several occasions for its anti-constitutional behaviour. In case of respecting Constitutional Federalism, and also in case of Governors, the Supreme Court of India found Modi government interfering with elected state governments. It collects GST, but not gives the due share in time to opposition ruled states.
Supreme Court of India has several times criticized the BJP led Central government and state governments for extra judicial killings, illegal arrests, misuse of investigating agencies, and gross misuse of power against opposition leaders or anyone who opposes government’s decisions and policies. Government’s bulldozer justice has also been criticized by the Supreme Court of India.
In reality, PM Narendra Modi led Government of India is in conflict with constitutional values on numerous counts. Opposition political parties have been voicing their concern that Constitution of India is under serious threat under Modi rule since 2014. Congress says it is ‘Undeclared Emergency’. Legislature, Judiciary, and the fourth estate that is media in under threat.
Privacy is fundamental right, as declared by the nine judges Constitutional Bench decision of the Supreme Court in 2017. Nevertheless, India is being turned into a surveillance state, through several laws, policies, and technology. People are paying for exercising their right to free speech. Dissenting voices are being crushed.
It is in this background, the power which is alleged to be behind undermining the Constitutional values in every respect, is observing “Shamvidhan Hatya Diwas” should serve as a wakeup call for citizens, since it is this power lobby from which the Constitution is under threat. (IPA Service)
