Party will felicitate those who went to jail protesting Indira Gandhi’s Emergency
Jamshedpur: BJP will observe June 25, the anniversary of Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi government in 1975, as a Black Day.
The party announced this decision in a press conference held on Thursday at the BJP district office of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Sakchi.
Addressing the press conference, the former state president of Bharatiya Janata Party Dr Dineshanand Goswami said that 47 years ago, on June 25, 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had tried to smother democracy by imposing emergency in the country.
He said that during the Emergency, the freedom of expression and thought given by the Constitution was taken away. All opposition leaders, including those from Bharatiya Jana Sangh, were jailed without giving any reason.
He said that after that there was a nationwide mass movement for restoration of democracy under the leadership of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan.
During the time the democracy-loving people of the country had rejected the dictatorship of the Congress.
Dr Goswami said that Congress party should apologise to the people of this country for the excesses done by the government during the emergency.
He said that Congress has trampled on democratic values in the country.
He said that BJP has full faith in democracy.
He said that BJP is the only party where there is internal democracy and there is a tradition of collective decision-making.
He said that the BJP city unit will celebrate Black Day on Friday.
He said that the resistance to emergency was actually the second war of independence.
He said that those who had fought emergency on the streets and were jailed will be felicitated by BJP on June 25.
He said that the party’s national Vice-President and the former Chief Minister Raghubar Das will attend the felicitation program.
He said that through this program, BJP will make the younger generation aware of the history and reality of emergency.
At the same time, party workers will also take a pledge to protect democracy, he added.
During the press conference, the former City BJP President Devendra Singh, District General Secretary Anil Modi, Rakesh Singh and media in-charge Prem Jha were also present.
