Highlights
- Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad might announce his own party in J&K today.
- He will address his first rally since quitting Congress, in Jammu’s Sainik Colony today.
- He has already stated that he would float his own party in Jammu and Kashmir soon.
Ghulam Nabi Azad news: Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad might announce his own party in Jammu and Kashmir today, as he slated to address a rally in Jammu’s Sainik Colony today. He left for Jammu from Delhi this morning, and this rally will be his first after quitting Congress. More fireworks might be seen as his rally will coincide with Rahul Gandhi’s address at ‘Mehngai par Halla Bol’ event in the national capital.
Azad has said his resignation letter was just a “tip of the iceberg”, indicating that he would step up his attack on the Gandhis in the coming days. He has already stated that he would float his own party in Jammu and Kashmir soon, where assembly elections are due to be announced.
Ahead of Azad’s Sunday rally in Jammu’s Sainik farms today, a spate of resignations was seen in the Jammu and Kashmir Congress. Sixty-four more leaders, including former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, tendered their resignation and joined the Ghulam Nabi Azad camp, leaving the unit of the national party in the Union Territory in tatters.
The former Union minister had targeted Rahul Gandhi in his five-page resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi last Friday. Azad had launched a stinging attack on Rahul Gandhi describing him as “immature” and “childish” and accusing the leadership of “foisting a non-serious individual” at the helm of the party.
Azad, 73, who ended his nearly five-decade association with the Congress, also attacked party chief Sonia Gandhi for applying the “remote control model that demolished the institutional integrity of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government” to the party. He also reminded Sonia Gandhi that she was just a “nominal figurehead” and all the important decisions were being taken by Rahul Gandhi or “rather worse his security guards and PAs”.
Azad slammed Rahul Gandhi’s conduct within the party and singled out his action of tearing up a government ordinance in “full glare” of the media. “One of the most glaring examples of this immaturity was the tearing up of a government ordinance in the full glare of the media by Shri Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
“The said ordinance was incubated in the Congress Core Group and subsequently unanimously approved by the Union Cabinet presided over by the Prime Minister of India and duly approved even by the President of India.
(With agency inputs)
Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir: In support of Ghulam Nabi Azad, 20 more Congress leaders quit party
Also Read: J&K: Huge setback for Congress as over 50 senior leaders quit party in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad