Union Minister Jitendra Singh to address Delhi Assembly symposium on Emergency tomorrow

New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Union Minister of State (Independent charge) Jitendra Singh will address a symposium at the Delhi Legislative Assembly to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Emergency (1975-77), on Saturday, an official said.

The symposium titled ‘Bhartiya Loktantra aur Samvidhaan ka Sabse Andhkaarmaya Daur: Na Bhoolein, Na Shama Karen’ is being organised under the banner of #SamvidhanHatyaDiwas.

Speaker Vijender Gupta emphasised that the symposium will serve not only as a tribute to those who resisted the Emergency but also as a solemn reminder to the younger generation to stay vigilant, safeguard democratic values, and ensure such a dark chapter is never repeated.

The symposium will also feature an address by Satyanarayan Jatiya, former Union Cabinet Minister. Mohan Singh Bisht, Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, will also speak on the occasion.

The event is envisioned as a national moment of introspection, aiming to revisit one of the most tumultuous and authoritarian phases in India’s democratic history, said a statement issued by the Assembly secretariat.

The symposium will highlight the significance of upholding constitutional values, protecting civil liberties, and preserving the independence of democratic institutions.

It will bring together eminent scholars, constitutional experts, senior journalists, bureaucrats, civil society members, and individuals who experienced the atrocities of the Emergency first-hand.

It will include keynote speeches, reflective discussions, and personal testimonies that explore the long-lasting implications of the Emergency on India's democratic fabric.

To mark this significant milestone, a thought-provoking and informative commemorative booklet, ‘Apatkaal@50’, will also be released during the event.

Earlier in the day, on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by Congress, the Delhi BJP Yuva Morcha organised a Mock Parliament at the NDMC Convention Centre.

Chief guests Dr S. Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs) and Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva inaugurated the event by lighting a ceremonial lamp.

Youth and students from various colleges participated in the Mock Parliament.

Before their address, Dr Jaishankar and Sachdeva visited a special exhibition commemorating 50 years of the Emergency.

In his welcome address, Delhi BJP Yuva Morcha President Sagar Tyagi recalled the Emergency as a dark chapter in India’s history.

Sachdeva emphasised that the purpose of organising this Mock Parliament was to educate the younger generation on how Congress strangled the Constitution to cling to power and how freedom of expression was suppressed.

He said, during the Emergency, some were maimed and others were killed, purely out of lust for power. Today’s youth must understand what the Emergency really was.

He credited Dr Jaishankar for showcasing India’s global strength in the last decade and highlighted India’s strong stand during the SCO meeting, where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint statement which did not carry any reference to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed.

--IANS

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