A day after former Jammu and Kashmr (J&K) Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from the party, a close confidant of Azad has said that the first unit of Azad's new party would be set up in J&K within a fortnight.
Azad's new party would have the restoration of the pre-August 5 2019 position of J&K on its manifesto, said GM Saroori to PTI.
Azad had confirmed to PTI on Friday that he is launching a new party. He said, "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."
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Saroori is among several prominent Congress leaders of J&K who resigned from the basic membership of the party in support of Azad. He is a former minister and a former vice president of the J&K unit of the Congress. He claimed that hundreds of senior Congress leaders, Panchayati Raj Institution members and prominent workers have tendered their resignations after Azad on Friday ended his over five-decade-long association with the national party.
No question of working at BJP's behest: Saroori
Saroori ruled out that Azad is working for the Bharatiya Janata Party, as the Congress party had alleged after his resignation. He said Azad is ideologically secular and there was no question of him working at the behest of the BJP. He further said that Azad would consultations next week.
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"Azad is coming to Jammu on September 4 to hold consultations with his well-wishers before the launch of our new party," Saroori told PTI.
Saroori along with several former legislators met with Azad in New Delhi on Friday to extend their support.
He added, "We are happy that he is returning to J&K where he served as chief minister. People view his rule as a golden era and want him back to pull out Jammu and Kashmir from the present situation."
Azad's party to focus on development, pre-August 5 2019 position
Saroori said Azad's 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 Narendra Modi government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Saroori said the Congress is almost finished in Jammu and Kashmir with the departure of Azad.
"There is a beeline of leaders [from J&K] coming to meet with 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.
Over a dozen leaders, including several former ministers and legislators, resigned from the basic membership of the Congress in support of Azad and many more such as former deputy chief minister Tara Chand are likely to resign after meeting with Azad in New Delhi on Saturday.
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'How do you stay when party humiliates you?'
Referring to the statement of the Congress accusing Azad of "collaboration" with the BJP after his resignation, 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.
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Azad blasted Rahul Gandhi in his resignation letter on Friday, calling him childish and immature and saying that sycophants in a coterie run the party whereas experienced leaders have been sidelined. He also said that Sonia Gandhi is merely a figurehead. Following this, the Congress party unleashed an offensive on Azad, terming his resignation a betrayal and alleging that he was acting at the behest of BJP and Modi.
(With PTI inputs)
