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AZAD ANNOUNCES TO LAUNCH NEW PARTY, SAYS ‘WILL WORK TO RESTORE FULL STATEHOOD’

In his first public meeting in Jammu after quitting Congress, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday announced to launch his own political outfit that will focus on the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “I have not decided upon a name for my party yet. The people of J&K will decide the name and […]

In his first public meeting in Jammu after quitting Congress, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday announced to launch his own political outfit that will focus on the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “I have not decided upon a name for my party yet. The people of J&K will decide the name and the flag for the party. I will give a Hindustani name to my party that everyone can understand,” Azad said at the rally. “My party will focus on the restoration of full statehood, right to land and employment to native domicile,” he added.

Azad received a rousing welcome here from huge crowds that had come to attend the rally. Addressing the public meeting, he said that the first unit of his party would be formed in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the impending assembly polls. In his first ever public address at Jammu’s Sainik Colony, after breaking away from his five-decade-long association with Congress party, Azad launched a scathing attack on the Grand Old Party.

“Congress was made by us by our blood, not by computers, not by Twitter. People are trying to defame us, but their reach is limited to computers and tweets. That is the reason Congress is nowhere to be seen on the ground,” Azad thundered at the rally.

Taking a jibe at the Congress, Azad said that people from Congress now go to jail in buses, call the DGP or police Commissioner, get their names written and leave within an hour. This is the reason Congress has been unable to grow, he said.

Azad, who was the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2005 to 2008, resigned from all party posts last month. In his hard-hitting resignation letter to Congress party interim President Sonia Gandhi, Azad had targeted party leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi, over the way the party has been functioning in the past nearly nine years.

The former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha had claimed that a coterie runs the party, while Sonia was just “a nominal head” and all major decisions were taken by “Rahul Gandhi or rather worse his security guards and PAs”.

Effusive in his praise of the welcome he received, Azad said, “I thank everyone who supported me through their resignations, WhatsApp messages and other mediums from across the country since I resigned from the party. I have served the Congress party holding every position for last 53 years, but never received this much of love even when I am not on any position.”

With Azad signalling that he will float a new party, several leaders have resigned from the Congress in the state. Former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand is among many leaders who have resigned from the party. Over 36 Congress leaders, including leaders of the NSUI, the youth wing of the Congress party, from various universities in Jammu have submitted their resignations in solidarity with Azad.

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