New Delhi, June 25 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed the 1975 Emergency a "direct assault" on the Constitution and paid homage to those who defended democratic values during the period.

In an X post marking the 51st anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency, PM Modi recalled the suspension of civil liberties and arrests of political leaders under the stringent Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).

He wrote, "Today, we pay homage to all those who steadfastly defended democratic values during one of the darkest chapters in India's history, the Emergency. The Emergency was a direct assault on our Constitution. It witnessed the suspension of civil liberties, curbs on freedom of expression, arrests of political l...