Gurugram (Haryana) [India], June 29 (ANI): Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda were among those who listened to the 123rd episode of PM Narendra Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' in Gurugram on Sunday.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also present during the occassion.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the program in Dehradun, whereas Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak did so in Lucknow.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan listened to the 'Mann ki Baat' program in North 24 Parganas, whereas Bihar Deputy Chief Miniseters Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha listened to the program in Patna.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 123rd episode of his monthly radio address condemned the imposition of Emergency in the country and termed the period as one of the darkest chapters in India's democratic history.

He said that the country is observing the 50th anniversary of the Emergency as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'.

During the programme, PM Modi played rare archival audio clips of former Prime Ministers Morarji Desai, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who described the Emergency as a time of constitutional murder, mass arrests, and the suppression of civil liberties and press freedom.

Prime Minister Modi asserted that every citizen should remember the ones who fought 'bravely' against the Emergency and it also inspires us to stay 'vigilant' to 'safeguard' the constitution.

'Morarji Desai describes the Emergency in brief... Not only did those who imposed the Emergency murder democracy, but their intention was to keep the judiciary as their puppet... Under 'MISA', anyone was arrested arbitrarily, people were tortured... Indians refused to compromise on democracy. Finally, people won and the Emergency was lifted. Babu Jagjivan Ram powerfully about this...' PM Modi said.

In the audio clip of Morarji Desai, the former Prime Minister is heard recounting the horrors of the Emergency.

Desai is heard saying in the clip played by PM Modi in his radio address, 'When the Emergency was imposed, people were treated inhumanely. Their right to freedom was snatched away, newspapers were silenced, and the judiciary was rendered powerless. Over one lakh people were jailed. Such an arbitrary rule is rare even in world history.'

OM Modi also addressed various other topics such as the eradication of eye disease trachoma, the recent celebration of international Yoga Day and women-led development enterprises shaping New India. (ANI)