G N Azad to launch new political party in 14 days with first unit in Kashmir

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New
Delhi,
Aug
27:
Former
Congress
leader
Ghulam
Nabi
Azad
is
all
set
to
launch
his
own
party
and
its
first
unit
would
come
up
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir
within
a
fortnight,
his
close
confidant
GM
Saroori
said
today.

Saroori
asserted
that
the
restoration
of
the
pre-August
5,
2019
position
of
Jammu
and
Kashmir
will
be
part
of
the
party’s
manifesto,
news
agency
PTI
reported.

A
former
minister
who
was
among
several
prominent
Congress
leaders
of
Jammu
and
Kashmir
who
resigned
from
the
basic
membership
of
the
party
in
support
of
Mr
Azad,
Mr
Saroori
said
their
leader
was
ideologically
secular
and
there
was
no
question
of
him
working
at
the
behest
of
the
BJP.

He
also
claimed
that
hundreds
of
senior
Congress
leaders,
Panchayati
Raj
Institution
members
and
prominent
workers
have
tendered
their
resignations
after
the
former
chief
minister
ended
his
over
five-decade-long
association
with
the
national
party.

Hours
after
quitting
Congress,
Azad
gets
an
offer
from
BJP

“Azad
is
coming
to
Jammu
on
September
4
to
hold
consultations
with
his
well-wishers
before
the
launch
of
our
new
party,”
Saroori,
a
former
vice-president
of
the
Jammu
and
Kashmir
unit
of
the
Congress,
told
Press
Trust
of
India.

Hours
after
his
resignation
on
Friday,
Azad
said
he
would
launch
a
new
party
soon
and
that
its
first
unit
would
be
set
up
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir.

“I
am
in
no
hurry
as
of
now
to
launch
a
national
party
but
keeping
in
mind
that
elections
are
likely
to
be
held
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir,
I
have
decided
to
launch
a
unit
there
soon,”
Azad,
who
hails
from
the
Bhaderwah
township
of
Doda
district,
had
told
Press
Trust
of
India
on
Friday
night.

Saroori,
who
along
with
several
former
legislators
met
with
Mr
Azad
in
New
Delhi
on
Friday
to
extend
their
support,
said
the
veteran
politician
was
going
to
“announce
the
launch
of
the
party
within
the
next
fortnight”.

“We
are
happy
that
he
is
returning
to
Jammu
and
Kashmir
where
he
served
as
Chief
Minister
(from
November
2,
2005
to
July
11,
2008).
People
view
his
rule
as
a
golden
era
and
want
him
back
to
pull
out
Jammu
and
Kashmir
from
the
present
situation,”
he
said,
adding
that
his
support
base
is
spread
across
Jammu
and
Kashmir.

Saroori
said
the
new
party
would
focus
on
development,
unity
among
all
sections
of
the
society,
and
would
struggle
for
restoration
of
the
pre-August
5,
2019
position.

On
August
5,
2019,
the
Centre
revoked
the
special
status
of
Jammu
and
Kashmir
under
Article
370
of
the
Constitution
and
bifurcated
the
erstwhile
state
into
two
Union
territories.
Saroori
said
the
Congress
is
almost
finished
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir
with
the
departure
of
Mr
Azad.

“There
is
a
beeline
of
leaders
(from
Jammu
and
Kashmir)
coming
to
meet
Ghulam
Nabi
Azad
to
extend
their
support.
We
have
received
hundreds
of
resignation
letters
from
PRI
members,
including
district
and
block
development
council
members,
and
several
municipal
corporators,”
he
said.

Ghulam
Azad
tears
into
Rahul
in
resignation
letter:
Read
top
quotes
here

Over
a
dozen
leaders,
including
several
former
ministers
and
legislators,
resigned
from
the
basic
membership
of
the
Congress
in
support
of
Mr
Azad
and
many
more
such
as
former
deputy
chief
minister
Tara
Chand
are
likely
to
resign
after
meeting
with
Mr
Azad
in
New
Delhi
today.

Referring
to
the
statement
of
the
Congress
accusing
Azad
of
“collaboration”
with
the
BJP
after
his
resignation,
Mr
Saroori
said
those
criticising
him
were
shutting
their
eyes
to
the
ground
realities
or
were
finding
the
earth
beneath
their
feet
slipping
away.

“He
is
a
secular
leader
who
worked
to
strengthen
the
Congress
over
the
past
five
decades.
In
fact,
all
of
us
have
given
our
blood
and
sweat,
but
how
can
you
stay
back
in
a
party
which
is
insulting
and
humiliating
you,”
he
asked,
blaming
the
Congress
leadership
for
compelling
them
to
take
such
a
decision.