The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold a public awareness programme on June 26 to observe 'Emergency Black Day', marking the 51st anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency in 1975. The event aims to highlight the perceived suspension of democratic rights during that period.
Event Details and Organisation
Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra announced the programme on Monday, stating it will take place at 11 am at the NDMC Convention Centre in Jantar Mantar. The BJP has observed June 25 as Emergency Black Day annually since its formation in 1980, but this year the event is scheduled a day later on June 26.
To coordinate the programme, the party has constituted a three-member committee comprising MP Yogendra Chandolia, former BJP Yuva Morcha president Dharmveer Sharma, and former district president Devendra Solanki.
Commemoration and Participants
Emergency detainees residing in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) will be invited to the event and honoured for their role during the Emergency. The programme is expected to be attended by senior BJP leaders, party workers, and individuals who were imprisoned or affected during the 21-month period from 1975 to 1977.
Malhotra said, 'The BJP has been organising awareness programmes against the Emergency every year since the party’s formation in 1980.' He emphasised the importance of remembering the suspension of civil liberties and the arrest of thousands under laws such as the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).
Historical Context
The Emergency was declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, citing internal disturbances. During this period, fundamental rights were suspended, political opponents were jailed, and the press was censored. The BJP and other opposition parties have consistently criticised the Emergency as a dark chapter in India's democratic history.
