Delhi govt unveils Emergency exhibition featuring unpublished detention orders

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, the Delhi Government on Wednesday inaugurated a special exhibition at Central Park, Connaught Place, titled “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas”.

The exhibition featured never-before-seen documents and detention orders from the Emergency period (1975–77), including those of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Balraj Madhok, and Vijaya Raje Scindia.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in the presence of Delhi’s Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra.

It was organised in collaboration with the Delhi Government’s Hindi Academy, as well as the Department of Art, Culture, and Language.

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Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the Emergency as “the darkest chapter in the history of India’s democracy”, noting that countless citizens were jailed without justification during the 21-month period that began on June 25, 1975. She paid tribute to the many democracy fighters imprisoned during that time, declaring that “dark days like the Emergency will not return — the public will not tolerate any such dictatorial attempts.” Gupta also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating, “Those whose ancestors murdered democracy now roam around with the Constitution in their pockets claiming to save it.” The chief minister compared the struggle during the Emergency to India’s freedom struggle and praised leaders such as Vajpayee, LK Advani, Madan Lal Khurana, and Balraj Madhok for “risking their lives to keep democracy alive.” She sharply criticised the policies of the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi, calling her regime “cruel, dictatorial and insensitive.” “At that time, there was no appeal, no argument and no hearing. This is sufficient proof of the murder of democracy,” Gupta remarked.

Echoing similar sentiments, Mishra highlighted that the exhibition showcased records never seen before in the public domain, including detention orders, rare photographs, press clippings, and official documents from the period. “The entire opposition was arrested overnight, courts were silenced, journalists were jailed, and media houses were shut down,” Mishra said.

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He added, “This exhibition is not just a way to preserve history, but a powerful reminder of how India’s democracy was saved through countless sacrifices.” The BJP, both at the Centre and in Delhi, has planned a series of events throughout the year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.

The chief minister concluded the event by announcing a year-long programme to honour the democracy fighters of 1975, calling them the “true sons of Mother India.”