Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar, (DD)The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir unit, on Wednesday held a solemn function in Srinagar to mark Emergency Day — observed annually on June 25 to commemorate the imposition of Emergency in 1975, a period widely condemned as a serious assault on Indian democracy.
The event was organised by senior BJP leader and DDC Srinagar member Er. Aijaz Hussain, in collaboration with the BJP Lal Chowk Constituency. Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri Ghulam Ali Khatana, was the Chief Guest, while BJP General Secretary (Organisation) J&K Shri Ashok Koul and several prominent party leaders were in attendance.
Addressing party workers, MP Ghulam Ali Khatana described the Emergency as a “blot on India’s democratic fabric.” He said, “Thousands of patriots, including opposition leaders and social activists, were jailed and silenced. Their courage in the face of repression is what kept our Constitution alive.”
Ashok Koul, in his address, reaffirmed BJP’s ideological roots in resistance to the Emergency. “This is not just a remembrance, but a commitment — to protect democracy in every corner of the country, especially in Jammu & Kashmir,” he said.
Among the dignitaries present were MLAs Shakti Raj Parihar, RS Pathania, Satish Kumar Sharma, Baldev Sharma, Dilip Parihar, DDC Mendar Tipu Khan, BDC Basant Raj, BJP Spokesperson Altaf Thakur, and Srinagar District President Sheikh Salman.
The event featured an Emergency-themed exhibition inaugurated by MP Khatana and Ashok Koul at Municipality Park, Jawahar Nagar, followed by a symbolic tree plantation under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign.
The programme concluded with a collective pledge to uphold democratic values and work for the progress and unity of Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gathering also included documentary screenings and accounts from senior BJP workers who recalled their experiences during the Emergency.(DD)
