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Azad’s new party will fight for rights of J&K people, says his aide
Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and his close associates said that first unit of his new national party will be established in J&K in coming days
While different political leaders have started dubbing Ghulam Nabi Azad’s proposed new party as an ally of the BJP in J&K like the Apni Party and the People’s Conference, those close to the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister say that the new party will be a secular one and fight for the rights of J&K people.
Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and his close associates said that first unit of his new national party will be established in J&K in coming days. “Azad will be chairing first meeting in Jammu on September 4 and important decisions will be taken in the meeting,” his aide GM Saroori said without disclosing whether he could be the first president of J&K from Azad’s party.
However, his rivals claim the former J&K chief minister is working for the BJP. “When he (Azad) was the leader of opposition in the Parliament and could have stopped revocation of Article 370, he didn’t do anything. Now, he is trying to make fool out of people of Kashmir,” said Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari while addressing a rally.
Even the Congress is equating him with parties that are called ‘proxies’ of the BJP.
‘Azad project has blessings of the central government’
“Azad was working on a particular agenda and a script. He has been given a particular role which he is performing now. The Azad project has blessings of the central government,” said BDC chairman Mir Iqbal, who is one of the prominent Congress leader in north Kashmir.
Meanwhile, BJP state spokesman Altaf Thakur said that formation of a political party by Azad is a welcome step. “In democracy, everybody has a right to form a political party. It’s premature to say whether he could become the chief minister of J&K or not,” he said, adding that the BJP won’t require any allies to form the government in UT.
Show of strength at Jammu on September 4
Azad, at the age of 73, is all set to kick off his second innings from Jammu on September 4.
Following the show of strength in Jammu, he will go on a four-day visit to his home constituency of Chenab region comprising Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah before holding another rally at Srinagar on September 12.
“Azad will address a public meeting at Sainik Colony,” said Saroori.
‘New youthful leadership will emerge within Congress’
J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani on Monday said that new youthful leadership will emerge within the party after the resignations of leaders in support of Azad.
Rasool along with senior leaders visited the Congress headquarters in Srinagar and said all the leaders who are joining Azad are old and would have otherwise turned deadwood in the coming years. “When they will contest again, they all will lose elections and become ex for life...Now our new leadership will emerge in J&K. Nobody is bothered about them within the party.” He also termed the leaders joining Azad a ‘spent force’.
Rasool said the Congress is a grand old party and has made huge sacrifices for the country.
(With inputs from Ravi Khajuria from Jammu)
