Congress accuses Ghulam Nabi Azad of being in cahoot with BJP

JAMMU — A day after the resignation of former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad from Congress party, the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit launched a scathing counter-attack and accused Azad of being in cahoots with the BJP.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters, as per the news agency KNO, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla along with other senior leaders said that the party is shocked by the reason and timing of the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad from the Congress party.

“It was most unfortunate and most regrettable that this has happened when Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the entire organization across the country are engaged in confronting, combating and fighting the BJP on public issues of price rise, unemployment and polarization,” Bhalla said.

He further said that Congress will not be affected by the absence of Azad but the leaders leaving will regret it. “Congress party is like a sea and leaders may come and go but it remains undisturbed. If any leader leaves the party, it may harm it temporarily but in the long run, the particular leader has to repent,” Bhalla said.

Bhalla further said that Rahul Gandhi as president is the choice of a majority of Congress workers across the country.

“Rahul Gandhi is the future of the Congress party as well as the country. He is an honest and clear-hearted leader and is well capable to lead the party from the front. The majority of leaders of JKPCC stand with Rahul Gandhi like a rock and also request him to accept the demand of thousands of Congress workers to be president of All India Congress Committee,” he said.

Several Congress leaders, including Mula Ram, Yogesh Sawhney, Th. Manmohan Singh, Hari Singh Chib, Shah Nawaz Choudhary, Uday Bhanu Chib and others were also present.

Azad has fallen into BJP’s fragmentation process: Karra

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former Member of Parliament, Tariq Hameed Karra on Saturday repulsed back to Ghulam Nabi Azad for targeting All India Congress Committee (AICC) Vice president, Rahul Gandhi, saying that it was he who made the proposal and passed it for Rahul’s presidential post.

Karra also said that the things in Congress for Azad started changing soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that he (Azad) will not be wasted and he will soon be appointed for a special mission.

“Azad has been working independently in J&K for the past some months and raising queries over the leadership of Congress,” Karra said as per the news agency KNO while addressing a presser and that is why Azad is showing resentment only when Congress president is out for either health reasons or something else.

“Congress party for the past several months are firm to fight out the divisive forces, who are against the pluralism policy and challenge the secularism as well and have done complete polarization on Mandir, Masjid and Hindu, Muslims,” he said, adding that there was no mention of ideological differences anywhere in Azad’s resignation letter, but it was purely on personal grounds and seemingly, which indicates his differences with the ideology of the party.

“His resignation was not surprising for me as Azad was given a tearful farewell after his retirement in Rajya Sabha under a newly found bonhomie. The PM had also said that we will not get Azad wasted and he will be soon appointed for a special mission and work. Azad has been independently working in J&K and raising questions over the leadership of Congress since then,” he said.

Targeting Rahul Gandhi is contrary to the facts as it was Azad who made the entire presidential document for him and played a key role to ensure the post to Rahul Gandhi. “Even Azad had also pitched that Rahul should be given the right to choose his members on his own and appoint CWC members as well.”

Questioning the timing of Azad’s resignation, he said that what prompted him to raise questions over Rahul Gandhi in between 2013 to 2018. “If he is an ethically empowered politician, he should have resigned at that time. He had enough time to show his resentment, which he never did,” Karra said, adding, “The newly found bonhomie is very clear and it is only after that the thing starts unfolding.”

Furthermore, he said that BJP has once again succeeded in the fragmentation process by Azad’s resignation, which may be in the shape of a new political party or through facilitation.

“However, as far as Congress is concerned, Azad might have resigned from the party along with some beneficiaries from time to time, but the cadre and those who have a philosophical and ideological affinity with the party will continue to be part of the party and fight against the new fragmentation attempt,” he said.