SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 25: BJP Dhanbad unit on Saturday felicitated senior party leaders who went to jail for protection of democracy during nationwide Emergency imposed by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 47 years ago in 1975.
At a programme organised by district BJP Mahanagar Committee, former state BJP president Prof Yadunath Pandey felicitated five senior leaders of Janasangh period who faced atrocities and were lodged in jail for 21 months during Emergency.
The leaders who were felicitated were Hari Prakash Lata, K B Sahay, Harish Joshi, Ganga Sharan Sharma and Kapil Dev Pandey. They were lodged in jail from June 25, 1975 to January 1977.
Prof Pandey said that the Emergency is a black chapter of Indian democracy which cannot be forgotten ever. “It is a black symbol of the country created by Indira Gandhi led Congress Party,” he said.
While recalling the leaders of Dhanbad for their role in agitation against the Emergency imposed by the Congress, Pandey said that they lost everything to protect democracy and got nothing. He also lashed out at the present Jharkhand government saying that it has forgotten all promises made during the election.
Dhanbad sadar MLA Raj Sinha said that people of the country cannot forget how democracy was murdered for power by a party. While highly praising Dhanbad heroes of Emergency, he said that their sacrifice for saving democracy would encourage the future generation.
Mahanagar president Chandrashekhar Singh said that besides leaders the organization (Janasangh) also sacrificed more than any political party in the country for restoration of democracy. “We recall the Emergency tragedy imposed by Indira Gandhi and Congress every year on June 25 to make people aware about it,” he said.
Vice President Sanjay Jha, Manus Prasun and Virendra Hansad also addressed the programme and recalled the contribution of leaders and said that BJP is a different party as it believes first in nation, second in organization and third in self.
