New Delhi: Amid a political shakedown in the Congress following a series of resignations including veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday, the age-old party has put itself on the defensive and began counter-attacking the senior leader of being power hungry and desperate for a position. Soon after Azad’s resignation, Congress’s media department head Pawan Khera targeted the leader and accused him of being desperate for a position. He added that Azad became restless the moment his Rajya Sabha term ended and was waiting for a chance to get back. “As soon Azad’s Rajya Sabha term got over, he became restless; he can’t stay without a post even for a second,” PTI quoted Pawan Khera as saying.
On Friday, Ghulam Nabi Azad, a veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir resigned from the party months after registering his protest against the new party leadership. In his provocative resignation letter, Azad blamed Rahul Gandhi for the mass resignations and the downfall of the party.
Azad, who is a leading member of G-23, a group of dissenting Congress leaders, earlier resigned from the post of campaign committee head of Congress’s Jammu and Kashmir unit on August 16 hours after being appointed.
Apart from Khera, other Congress leaders also came together in Gandhi’s defence and slammed Azad for leaving the game when Congress is going toe to toe with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on several issues.
Azad’s DNA has been Modi-fied: Jairam Ramesh
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday took a jibe at Ghulam Nabi Azad and stated that a man who has been treated with the greatest respect has betrayed the party leadership by his vicious personal attacks which reveals his true character.
In a tweet without mentioning Azad`s name, Jairam Ramesh said that GNA`s (probable reference to Azad) DNA has been modified. “A man who has been treated with the greatest respect by the Congress leadership has betrayed it by his vicious personal attacks which reveals his true character. GNA`s DNA has been modified.”
Your resignation gave a sense of betrayal: Sandeep Dixit
Congress leader and a member of the G-23, Sandeep Dikshit on Friday hit out at Ghulam Nabi Azad and termed his resignation as a betrayal since the group had raised a banner of reforms, not revolt.
In his letter to Azad, Dikshit said, “I read your letter of resignation, it gave me a sense of dismay and unfortunately a sense of betrayal.”
(With inputs from agencies)