Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis speaking at a ceremony to felicitate the prisoners of MISA during 1975 emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi
Mumbai, 26 June 2020: If democracy is attacked, like in the 1975 Emergency, the nationalist organisations along with youth will fight back, said Maharashtra Ex Cm Devendra Fadanvis. He was felicitating 1975 emergency’s MISA prisoners, to commemorate 45th anniversary of emergency forced by Indira Gandhi. While talking at this occasion, Mumbai BJP president Mangalprabhat Lodha said that Maharashtra is experiencing the same emergency like situation today. The same three parties which enforced Emergency in 1975 are today ruling the state, he pointed. In 1975, the people opposing Indira Gandhi were jailed, today the one who points out the failure of the state government are facing police actions, Lodha said.
Ex CM Devendra Fadanvis said further that whoever opposed the 1975b emergency forced by Indira Gandhi would be known as the Warriors of Democracy. He said he felt proud that his government could do something to help the fighters of the emergency. He said he was four or five years old when his father was arrested by Indira Gandhi’s police. When asked what his crime was, his mother said that he opposed Indira Gandhi. Fadanvis pointed out that the first attack on democracy was done by Indira Gandhi just because she could not win again due to huge corruption. Those times will be marked as a black period in India’s history, he said. The families of many of those were devastated, but the RSS parivar karyakartas stood like a rock against the emergency, Fadanvis reminded. The jails overflowed, but the morale of the karyakartas never went down, he said.
Shri Chimanbhai Mehta and Keertiben Mehta, Rameshbhai Mehta, Laddharam ji Nagwani, Sanjiv ji Parab, Milind ji Karmarkar, and Purushottam ji Shenoy were felicitated at this occasion as the representatives of the MISA prisoners. These karyakartas shared their experiences. Many could not stop their tears as they narrated the plight of the then Sangh Pracharaks. Vimal ji Kedia gave an introduction of each MISA prisoner present. Kedia also narrated some of the incidents that happened at those times.
This very small function took place at the government quarters of Devendra Fadanvis. FAmilies of these MISA prisoners were also present. Thousands of RSS parivar workers from all over Maharashtra joined in using video conference link. Senior RSS worker Vimal Kedia conducted the programme.
