<P> After a quick question regarding a procedural matter, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a state of internal emergency upon the prime minister's advice on the night of 25 June 1975, just a few minutes before the clock struck midnight . </P> <P> As the constitution requires, Mrs. Gandhi advised and President Ahmed approved the continuation of Emergency over every six - month period until her decision to hold elections in 1977 . </P> <P> Indira Gandhi devised a' 20 - point' economic programme to increase agricultural and industrial production, improve public services and fight poverty and illiteracy, through "the discipline of the graveyard". In addition to the official twenty points, Sanjay Gandhi declared his own five - point programme promoting literacy, family planning, tree planting, the eradication of casteism and the abolition of dowry . Later during the Emergency, the two projects merged into a twenty - five point programme . </P> <P> Invoking article 352 of the Indian Constitution, Gandhi granted herself extraordinary powers and launched a massive crackdown on civil liberties and political opposition . The Government used police forces across the country to place thousands of protestors and strike leaders under preventive detention . Vijayaraje Scindia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Raj Narain, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Jivatram Kripalani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Arun Jaitley, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Gayatri Devi, the dowager queen of Jaipur and other protest leaders were immediately arrested . Organisations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jamaat - e-Islami along with some political parties were banned . Numerous Communist leaders were arrested along with many others involved with their party . Congress leaders who dissented the Emergency declaration and amendment to the constitution such as Mohan Dharia and Chandra Shekhar resigned their government and party positions and were arrested and placed under detention, </P>

When was emergency declared in india and why