Crisis and response

The political confrontation that had been building for months reached its peak in June 1975. The opposition, led by Jayaprakash Narayan, demanded Indira Gandhi's resignation and organised a massive demonstration at Delhi's Ramlila grounds on 25 June 1975. Jayaprakash then announced a nationwide satyagraha for her resignation and went further — he asked the army, the police, and government employees not to obey what he called "illegal and immoral orders." This was a direct challenge to the authority of the government, threatening to bring its activities to a standstill. The political mood of the country had turned against the Congress more sharply than ever before.

The government's response was swift and drastic. On the very same day — 25 June 1975 — it declared a state of emergency, invoking Article 352 of the Constitution. This article allows the government to proclaim an emergency on grounds of external threat or a threat of internal disturbances. The government argued that a grave crisis had arisen, making such a proclamation necessary.

Technically, this was within the government's constitutional powers. Once an emergency is declared, two major changes take effect:

• The federal distribution of powers is practically suspended. All powers are concentrated in the hands of the union government.
• The government gains the power to curtail or restrict all or any of the Fundamental Rights during the emergency.

The Constitution itself treats an emergency as an extraordinary condition in which normal democratic politics cannot function. Therefore, special powers are granted to the government.

On the night of 25 June 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recommended the imposition of Emergency to President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who issued the proclamation immediately. What followed was a series of swift, coordinated actions:

• After midnight, electricity to all major newspaper offices was disconnected. …