Analyse the circumstances responsible for the declaration of a state emergency in India in 1975.

Emergency was proclaimed in response to a petition filed by Raj Narain, a socialist leader and a candidate who had contested against Indira Gandhi in 1971. The following were the reasons given by the Government for declaring a State Emergency in 1975:

a) On June 25, 1975, the government declared that there was a threat of internal disturbances and therefore, it invoked Article 352 of the Constitution.

b) Article 352 can declare emergency on ground of either internal or external disturbances.

c) The government decided that a grave crisis had arisen which made the proclamation of a state of emergency necessary.

d) Technically speaking this was within the powers of the government, for our Constitution provides for some special powers to the government once an emergency is declared.

e) President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad thus proclaimed emergency which became the most controversial episode in Indian Politics.