Thiruvananthapuram: Remembering the National Emergency of 1975 on its 47th anniversary, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for stepping up vigil to face 'threats' against "constitution, democracy and secularism ."

"The dark days of National #Emergency which threatened our democracy and suspended our civil liberties, began 47 years ago today. 19 months later, India overcame it. However, today our constitution, democracy and secularism face severe threats. It is time to step up our vigil," he tweeted.

Pinarayi Vijayan was the youngest MLA in the Kerala Assembly, from Thalassery constituency, when Emergency was declared. He was arrested by police during the time and faced brutal police torture. He later brought the blood-stained shirt he wore during that time to the Assembly when he spoke about it during a discussion.