NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid homage to stalwart Jai Prakash Narayan on his birth anniversary, hailing JP as a “tireless champion for democracy and social justice”.Recalling JP’s efforts to empower ordinary citizens and strengthen Constitutional values, PM Modi said: “His clarion call for Sampoorna Kranti ignited a societal movement, envisioning a nation built on equality, ethics and good governance.”“On his birth anniversary, paying homage to Loknayak JP, one of India’s most fearless voices of conscience and a tireless champion for democracy and social justice,” PM Modi wrote on X.PM Modi highlighted JP’s numerous mass movements, which he said “led to a socio-political awakening across India”. “These movements shook the then Congress Government at the Centre, which went on to impose the Emergency and trample over our Constitution,” PM Modi said.Attacking the Congress party for the Indira Gandhi-imposed 1975 Emergency, during which JP was forcibly arrested, PM Modi shared a page from JP’s book, which he wrote in jail at that time.PM posted: “On Loknayak JP’s birth anniversary, a rare glimpse from the archives… Here are pages from his book, Prison Diary, written during the Emergency. During the Emergency, Loknayak JP spent several days in solitary confinement. His Prison Diary captures his anguish and unbroken faith in democracy. “Every nail driven into the coffin of Indian democracy is like a nail driven into my heart”, he wrote.Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP, was a prominent Indian independence activist, social reformer, and political leader. Initially associated with socialist movements, he became a key figure advocating for clean governance and democratic ideals.During the Emergency (1975–1977) imposed by Indira Gandhi, JP emerged as the leader of the opposition against authoritarian rule. He called for a “Total Revolution”, mobilising students, workers, and citizens to demand the restoration of civil liberties, press freedom, and democratic institutions.His leadership galvanised widespread protests, strikes, and demonstrations across India, uniting various opposition parties under the Janata Morcha.JP Narayan’s efforts were instrumental in creating a political and moral momentum that challenged the Emergency’s excesses. After its withdrawal in 1977, his movement laid the foundation for the Janata Party’s victory, marking the first time the Congress party lost power at the Centre.