Delhi BJP on Friday, 26 June held a seminar at the NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi, to mark Samvidhan Hatya Diwas — the anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975 by the then Indian National Congress government — and to felicitate 115 Loktantra Senanis (democracy warriors) who endured hardships during that period. The event was organised under the chairmanship of Delhi BJP chief Harsh Malhotra.

What Was Said at the Seminar

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the keynote speaker, described Samvidhan Hatya Diwas as a pivotal date in Indian history. Drawing a parallel with the Dussehra ritual, she said just as Ravana's effigy is burnt each year to mark the triumph of truth over falsehood, 25 June must be remembered so that future generations understand that 140 crore citizens will never permit a repeat of such an assault on the Constitution. She also invoked the legacies of Jayaprakash Narayan — whom she said the Congress government 'chained' but could not break — and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose writings from prison, she argued, became the voice of lakhs of democracy warriors.

Smriti Irani on Women and Erased History

Former Union Minister Smriti Irani said the programme was specifically designed to ensure the Emergency's history is never repeated, and that young attendees were invited to hear directly from those who lived through it. She alleged that the suffering of women during the Emergency is rarely discussed and that references to atrocities against women were removed from historical records. 'Those who speak about women's rights today must answer what happened to women during that period,' she said.

Delhi BJP Chief on Democratic Pillars

Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said the Emergency saw press freedom curtailed, privileges stripped, and both opposition workers and ordinary citizens subjected to hardship. He argued that remembering the day serves a dual purpose: holding accountable those responsible for past wrongs and educating a younger generation that did not witness the period. He said the Emergency's enduring lesson is that an independent judiciary, a free press, an active civil society, and aware citizens are democracy's strongest pillars, and that no government, however powerful, can override the people's final verdict.

Honourees and Attendees

The seminar was also addressed by Loktantra Senani and BJP Parliamentary Board member Satyanarayan Jatiya. Senior democracy warriors — including O.P. Babbar, Nand Kishore Garg, Lal Bihari Tiwari, P.K. Chandela, Suresh Gupta, Rambhaj, Karan Singh Tanwar, Shravan Kumar, Tilak Raj Kataria, Sanjay Bhatia, Rajan Dhingra, and Jagmal Prasad — were honoured with shawls. Members of Parliament Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Bansuri Swaraj, and Delhi Minister Ashish Sood also attended. The programme was conducted by MPs Yogendra Chandolia, Dharamvir Sharma, and Devendra Solanki.

Broader Context

The Emergency, declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 25 June 1975 and lifted in 1977, remains one of the most contested episodes in post-Independence Indian politics. The BJP and its ideological affiliates have consistently used its anniversary to highlight what they describe as Congress's authoritarian legacy. This year's event, with 115 Loktantra Senanis formally recognised, is among the larger such commemorations held in the capital. The naming of the day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas — literally 'Constitution Murder Day' — was formalised as a state observance under the current dispensation.