43 years of Emergency: BJP to observe 'Black Day' today

The BJP is set to observe 'Black Day' across the nation on the 43rd anniversary of Proclamation of Emergency by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to address a BJP event in Mumbai that aims to express gratitude towards those who fought against the Emergency in 1975 and dwell upon conserving the democratic values.

In his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on June 25 last year, PM Modi had referred to the Emergency, saying "such a black night cannot be forgotten."

The June 25-26 emergency proclamation suspended the fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21 and 22 of the Constitution. As a curtain-raiser to the 'Black Day' Union Minister Arun Jaitley has written an elaborate post on his Facebook page about dark days of the Emergency, the trampling of personal liberties.

PM Modi has tweeted links of Arun Jaitley's post, saying, "Shri Arun Jaitley writes about the dark days of the Emergency, the trampling of personal liberties, excesses committed and how the Emergency was a direct attack on our Constitutional ideals. Do read his blogs."

Press conferences and seminars will be organised at nearly 22 places across the country to make the new generation aware about how the Congress had murdered democracy by imposing Emergency.

• Sri.MJ Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs, will deliver the keynote address in Karnataka
• MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh will be in Assam
• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be in Pune, Maharashtra
• HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has been deployed in Rajasthan
• Textiles Minister Smriti Irani will be in Odisha
• Health Minister JP Nadda will be present in Uttrakhand
• Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will be in Bihar
• Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, in Karnataka
• Culture Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma will hold a press briefing in Chandigarh