Overview

• On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court declared Indira Gandhi’s 1971 Rae Bareli victory void for using government officers and resources in her campaign, disqualifying her from Parliament for six years.
• The Supreme Court granted a conditional stay on June 24 that let Gandhi remain prime minister but barred her from voting or drawing a salary as an MP while her appeal proceeded.
• Invoking Article 352 on June 25, 1975, Gandhi imposed a 21-month national Emergency in which civil liberties were suspended, political opponents were jailed and the press fell under strict censorship.
• During the Emergency, Parliament passed the 39th Constitutional Amendment to place the prime minister’s election beyond judicial review, a safeguard later rolled back by the Supreme Court for violating the Constitution’s basic structure doctrine.
• The sidelining of dissenting judges under Emergency spurred the Supreme Court to establish the collegium system, reshaping judicial appointments to protect the court’s independence.