Senani Sangh demands official recognition to Emergency prisoners pension

New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) The Loktantra Senani Sangh on Thursday demanded official recognition, monthly financial assistance, and cashless medical facilities for those who were imprisoned and tortured during the Emergency and the 1974 JP Movement.

     Addressing a press conference here, former Union Minister and national co-patron of Loktantra Senani Sangh, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, said that the Congress "distorted" the Constitution and "murdered" democracy during the Emergency.

     The body's national vice president and former Delhi MLA, O P Babbar, said 'satyagrahis' were tortured in jails.

     He also announced that a national convention of the outfit on November 26, Constitution Day, on the theme 'Congress: The Destroyer of the Constitution.'

     The programme will bring together "democracy fighters" from different political parties who stood against authoritarianism during the Emergency, according to a statement from the outfit.

     The body asserted that the meeting will be held on a common platform at the NDMC convention centre and not under the banner of any single political party.

     In a video message, Choubey said that the Congress undermined the Constitution and democratic institutions during the Emergency and even extended Parliament by one year.

     He also criticised Sonia Gandhi's recent book, alleging that it sought to absolve the family of responsibility for the Emergency.

     Choubey recalled the police brutality inflicted upon Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh, and that the latter even suffered a fracture in his hand during the period.

     Babbar alleged violations of constitutional principles by the Congress were not limited to the Emergency but extended to the period following Independence, Partition and subsequent constitutional and legislative developments.

     Babbar said that around "450–500 democracy fighters" are alive in Delhi, mostly sick and bedridden.

     According to him, they received between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000 per month, depending on the state, while Madhya Pradesh helps them with up to Rs 30,000 monthly.

     The organisation's Delhi state chief, Rajan Dhingra, accused the Congress of double standards, saying that while Sonia Gandhi's book expressed regret over the imprisonment of the innocent during the Emergency, Congress governments in some states discontinued pension and other assistance to democracy fighters.

     The outfit's Delhi general secretary, Raj Kumar Sapra, said leaders from several political parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal and DMK, have been invited for the November 26 gathering.

     Murli Manohar Joshi has agreed to attend the programme, he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)