Cong leaders air their concerns to Soni, Azad about NC leader

Several Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir today conveyed their concerns to senior party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni about the statements against the party leadership issued by NC leader Shiekh Mustafa Kamal.
"Several speakers highlighted the need that National Conference, which is our coalition partner in the state government, should to be told to rein in Kamal who has been issuing derogatory statements about Congress and its leaders in the state," a party leader said after the one-day convention of Pradesh Congress Committee here.
Kamal had taken a swipe at Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, who is in the council of ministers from Congress quota, and PCC president Saifuddin Soz following the report about a secret intelligence unit of the army trying to topple the state government.

Soni, who is incharge of the Congress for Jammu and Kashmir, attended the convention along with Azad.
The Congress leader, who wished not to be named, said many delegates also demanded that the coalition with National Conference should be run on the basis of equality.
"Many leaders felt that National Conference was running the government in an authoritarian way which was against the interests of Congress party in the state," he said.

The Congress leader hailing from south Kashmir, however, said the subject of alliance with any political party in the state for next year's Parliament and Assembly polls was not discussed.

"The issue of pre-poll or post-poll alliance with any party, be it National Conference or PDP, was not discussed," he added.
He said Azad and Soni, in their speeches at the convention, asked the state leaders and workers to put up a united front.
"The central leaders expressed concern over incidents of growing factionalism within the state unit of the party. They made it clear that anyone violating the party discipline will be taken to task," he said.
Azad and Soni urged the Congress leaders and workers to create awareness among the people of the state about the important steps taken by the UPA government at Centre including the National Food Security Act, the Land Acquisition Act and other development works, he added.