Samvidhan Hatya Diwas will create awareness about democracy in future generations: Rekha Gupta

Reflecting on the horrors of the emergency, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday that June 25 is one of the important days in country’s history to be remembered as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas so that future generations could know that no one should tyr to repeat such an act in future.

Gupta was speaking at a seminar, held here under the chairmanship of Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, to remember the horrors of the Emergency imposed in 1975 by the then Congress government that led to the suppression of democracy.

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On this occasion, 115 Loktantra Senanis (democracy warriors) were also felicitated.
The chief minister said back in the day, Congress government chained Jayaprakash Narayan, but could not chain his courage. While Atal Bihari Vajpayee was imprisoned, his writings continued and became the voice of lakhs of the democracy warriors, who stayed away from their families for years and faced hardships, but never gave up their love for the nation.
Rekha Gupta said today the country has a Prime Minister who respects the sacrifices of democracy warriors and works continuously to ensure that such a situation never occurs again, democracy remains respected, and the media remains free and every citizen enjoys rights, she added.

Former Union Minister Smriti Irani, who was also present on the occasion, said history has a tendency to repeat itself, and this programme has been organised so that the history of the Emergency is never repeated.

According to Irani, young people have been invited so they can know the truth and meet those who faced hardships during the Emergency and raised their voices against it. They should remain vigilant about those who held power during the Emergency and understand what they did to the Constitution.

Taking a dig at Congress leaders, she alleged that those who repeatedly harmed constitutional values are now trying to present themselves as protectors of the Constitution.

She said that there were many incidents where people were brutally attacked for opposing certain political forces. Referring to the case of Master Salam from Kerala, she alleged such incidents showed the violence faced by political workers.
The BJP leader alleged that many people were jailed and severe actions were taken against those who opposed the Emergency.

The Delhi BJP chief, speaking on the occasion, said duruing the Emergecy press freedom was curtailed, privileges were removed and Opposition workers and ordinary citizens faced hardships.

According to Malhotra, the importance of remembering this day is not only lies in discussing the wrongs committed during the Emergency but also educating the young generation, which did not witness that period, about the mindset behind those actions.
He said that the Emergency teaches that an independent judiciary, free press, active civil society and aware citizens are the strongest pillars of democracy.
No matter how powerful a government is, the final decision in a democracy belongs to the people, he added.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP felicitated 115 Loktantra Senanis (democracy warriors) who were imprisoned during the Emergency.

MPs Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Bansuri Swaraj and Delhi Government Minister Ashish Sood also attended the programme and honoured these democracy warriors.