Ghulam Nabi Azad launches ‘Democratic Azad Party’

SRINAGAR — Former veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who ended his more than five-decade-long association with the Congress in August, has launched his own new political party named ‘Democratic Azad Party’.

The senior politician and former chief minister, while speaking to media persons here at Jammu, announced the name of his new party: Democratic Azad Party. He said that around 1,500 names for his new party were sent to him in different languages including Urdu and Sanskrit.

“The mix of Hindi and Urdu is ‘Hindustani’. We wanted the name to be democratic, peaceful and independent,” he said. “Our priority will be to register our party. Elections can take place at any time. We will continue our political activities,” he said.

“We haven’t consulted any other party for floating a new party. My party will have Gandhiji’s ideology,” the senior politician, who also unveiled the flag of the Democratic Azad Party, said. The flag has three colours – mustard, white and blue.

“Mustard colour indicates creativity and unity in diversity, white indicates peace and blue indicates freedom, open space, imagination and limits from the depths of the ocean to the heights of the sky,” he said.

Azad further said that apple trucks should be prioritized like ambulances rather than halted on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Earlier, Azad in his first public meeting in Jammu after quitting Congress had announced to launch his own political outfit that will focus on the restoration of full statehood. He had said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will decide the name and the flag for the party. “My party will focus on the restoration of full statehood, right to land, and employment to native domicile,” he had added.

Over two dozen prominent Congress leaders including former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, several former ministers and legislators also resigned from the Congress in support of Azad.