CM promises pension cover for remaining JP movement activists

Patna: Union minister J P Nadda and CM Samrat Choudhary on Thursday felicitated JP “senanis” as the BJP observed ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ to mark the 51st anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975.Addressing the programme, Samrat announced that a committee would soon be constituted to bring the remaining JP movement activists under the state govt’s pension scheme.“The govt will stand by you to save democracy. Around 1,200 applications for JP senani pension have been received. Our govt will try to felicitate them on this very day next year. This govt is committed to taking care of the interests of women, Gen-Z and the youth.

Farmers’ interest is our priority,” he said.The CM said the Emergency represented one of the darkest chapters in the country’s democratic history and praised those who had opposed it.“People secured the country’s freedom by sacrificing their lives, but the Congress jeopardised the Constitution by imposing the Emergency,” Samrat said.He also highlighted the state govt’s grievance-redressal initiative, saying 3.70 lakh applications had been received through Sahyog Shivirs and 3.30 lakh disposed of within a month.

Describing June 25 as a black day for democracy, Samrat said, “The movement launched by JP senanis against this dictatorship stands as a global example. The govt is committed to completing all remaining initiatives to honour these JP senanis.”Nadda launched a sharp attack on the Congress, alleging large-scale violations of civil liberties during the Emergency.“During the Emergency, 1.10 crore people were forcibly sterilised and 1.05 lakh houses had been demolished in Delhi alone. The then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, jailed approximately 1.31 lakh people without judicial scrutiny under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).

Rahul Gandhi, who flashes a copy of the Constitution should first tell the people about his grandmother’s wrongs committed against democracy,” he said.Nadda added, “No one could forget June 5, 1974. I also participated in the movement on that day when JP gave the call for ‘Total Revolution’.”More than 300 JP senanis were felicitated at the Patna event by Nadda, Samrat, Union minister Giriraj Singh and BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh. Similar programmes were also held in Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Purnia and Darbhanga.