New Delhi, August 9 (HS). Democracy fighters from many states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Bihar demonstrated at Jantar Mantar on Friday demanding the status of 'Freedom Fighter'.
The Uttar Pradesh government has given the status of 'Loktantra Senani' to those people who had to go to jail during the emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Under the banner of Loktantra Senani Kalyan Parishad, these people also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah regarding their demands including the status of 'Freedom Fighter'.
Council President Naval Kishore Mishra said that the Uttar Pradesh government has given the status of democracy fighter to MISA prisoners under the Freedom Fighter Act. Now the Modi government has announced to celebrate 25 June every year as the day of murder of the Constitution and give importance to the Emergency as the second battle for freedom. In such a situation, democracy fighters should be immediately given the status of 'Freedom Fighter'.
Council's general secretary Ramesh Raghav said that many state governments are fulfilling their responsibilities. In such a situation, the central government should fulfill its responsibility by giving these people the status of freedom fighters and announcing Golden Ayushman Card and free railway travel facility with a companion. Along with this, the struggle against Emergency should be included in the curriculum along with the establishment of Loktantra Senani Memorial.
Other office bearers of Loktantra Senani Kalyan Parishad said that great people like Rajju Bhaiya gave new energy to the anti-emergency movement by living underground with many people during the Emergency. During this time, the then government put thousands of people in jails to crush the movement.
On this occasion, famous social reformers Bajrang Muni, Rameshwar Singh, Deepchand Sharma, Balwant Singh Nidar, Jagannath Shahane, Avadhoot Joshi, Sheetal Agarwal, Harivansh Singh, Dayaram, Ramashrya Dixit, Chandreshwar Bharti, Ramzan Ali, Ravi Bansal, Rajendra Atal, Rajan Dhingra, Mahabir Bhardwaj and many others addressed the people sitting on the dharna.