Page 5 - Ghulam Nabi Azad

Will launch new party, first unit in J-K in view of impending polls: Azad

Veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday 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 resigned from the Congress earlier in the day, told PTI. Azad, who had served as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Union minister under various prime ministers and the chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, refused to divulge any further details on the formation of his new party. Refusing to be dragged into any discussion over his resignation, Azad said, "I have thought about this decision for long and there is no going back.

Allegations in Azad's letter far from truth, says Congress' Sachin Pilot

Rajasthan's former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot Friday said senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from the Congress when there was a need for the country and the party to stand against the BJP rule. Azad Friday ended his decades-long association with the Congress, and blasted the party in an explosive resignation letter to its president Sonia Gandhi. "The timing of the letter is very unfortunate. He remained on various posts over the last 50 years. Today, there was a need for the country and the party to stand against the BJP rule. This is the time of struggle, to put forth the truth and face the BJP," Pilot said. He said the allegations levelled in the letter are far from truth. Pilot said need of the hour is for experienced and young workers to come together. Party workers will continue to struggle and raise their voice against the BJP's "misrule", Pilot said.

Congress doomed beyond redemption: Amarinder Singh after Azad resigns

Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday targeted the Congress, saying the party under the current leadership is "doomed beyond redemption". His statement came on a day senior Congress leader quit the party, terming it comprehensively destroyed and accusing the leadership of committing fraud in the name of "sham" internal polls. Amarinder Singh had also quit the Congress last year following his unceremonious exit as the chief minister and floated his own outfit, Punjab Lok Congress. "When you cannot retain leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad who spent his entire life with the party, there is something terminally wrong with your functioning and the way you treat your senior and seasoned leaders," Singh said in a statement. Questioning the claims of some leaders that the party had given Azad so much, Amarinder Singh said it is a reciprocal process. "The party is made by the blood and sweat and hard work of leaders," he remarked, adding, "It cannot be a one-man ...

Exits of Azad, Sibal leave Congress' G-23 change seekers in disarray

Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation from the Congress on Friday marked the most high-profile exit of one of the "Group of 23" (G-23) leaders, who had written to party chief Sonia Gandhi two years ago for a "collective and inclusive leadership" in the organisation, exposing the faultlines in the grand old party. The G-23, the members of which were lampooned by the party loyalists after their letter became public on August 24, 2020, has virtually disintegrated over the last two years with the resignations of Azad and Kapil Sibal, seen as the prime movers of the initiative, and others such as Shashi Tharoor, M Veerappa Moily and Mukul Wasnik making peace with the high-command. Leaders such as Jitin Prasada and Yogananda Shastri have also quit the Congress to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) respectively. Prasada is a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government now, while Shastri heads the Delhi unit of the NCP. Former Union minister Anand Sharma, w

5 J&K Cong leaders quit in Azad's support, more resignations likely: Report

Hours after former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad quit the Congress, five senior party leaders including two former ministers resigned the party's basic membership with sources saying more are likely go. Former ministers R S Chib and G M Saroori, former MLA Mohammad Amin Bhat, former MLC Naresh Gupta and party leader Salman Nizami resigned in support of Azad, sources said. They said five more leaders are likely to quit including former MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and ex-legislators Haji Abdul Rashid, Chowdhary Mohd Akram and Gulzar Ahmad Wani. Another prominent leader, Muneer Ahmad Mir, is also likely to resign, the sources said. "Over the years as a member of the Congress Party, it has been my sincere endeavour to work for the betterment of my State - Jammu & Kashmir. I feel that in the prevailing circumstances, the Congress Party has lost its momentum in contributing towards the future of my State. "Keeping in view the turmoil that the State of J&K has ...

Azad forced to resign, Congress now sunken ship: J-K BJP Chief Raina

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina claimed on Friday that Ghulam Nabi Azad was forced to resign from the Congress as he was insulted and harassed in the party, which is a sunken ship now. Azad resigned from all party positions on Friday ahead of the organisational polls, describing the Congress as "comprehensively destroyed" and accusing its leadership of committing "fraud" on the party in the name of "sham" internal elections. "Azad's resignation shows there is no internal democracy in the Congress and it runs through a remote control. It also establishes the fact that the Congress only cares for one family and there is no space for other leaders," Raina told reporters here. Stating that Azad "sweated blood" for decades while serving the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said, "He was forced to resign as he was insulted and humiliated in the party." He further said the Congress was already a sinking ship and with Azad's resignation, it is a "sunken .

Content of Ghulam Nabi Azad's letter not factual, timing awful: Congress

The Congress on Friday said the contents of Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation letter were "not factual" and its timing was "awful", while asserting that it was most unfortunate that it came at a time when the entire party organisation was engaged in combating the BJP on key issues like price rise and polarisation. Congress sources said Azad's observations in the letter were more of a "personal vilification" targeting Rahul Gandhi. Addressing a press conference on Azad's resignation, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "It is most unfortunate, most regrettable that this has happened, when the Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the entire Congress Party organization, across the country is engaged in confronting, combating, fighting the BJP on issues of 'mehangai (price rise)', unemployment and polarization." The entire Congress organisation in the last couple of weeks has been involved in preparing for the 'Mehangai Par Halla Bol rally'

Azad's resignation from Congress unfortunate, says former Haryana CM Hooda

Former Haryana chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation from all party positions, including its primary membership, was "unfortunate". He also said when a senior leader takes such a step, it does make an impact on the party organisation. "It is unfortunate, that is what I can say," Hooda told PTI when asked about Azad's decision. "He (Azad) has been a Congressman throughout," he added. Azad and Hooda are prominent leaders of the "Group of 23" (G-23) that has been critical of the Congress leadership's decisions. The grouping, comprising many other prominent veterans including Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari, has been insisting on genuine elections right from the block level up to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) level. Hooda, who is the leader of the opposition in Haryana, said it was up to the party high-command to decide on the future course of action in the wake of recent developments. "I had recently sa

Party election a farce, Rahul immature, coterie running the show: Azad

Ghulam Nabi Azad has blasted Rahul Gandhi and his coterie for the dismal performance of the party and termed the entire organisational election process a "farce and a sham"

Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation 'unfortunate', timing 'awful': Congress

The Congress on Friday called senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation "unfortunate" and termed the timing "awful", saying it has come at a time when the party is engaged in combating the BJP on various issues. Azad on Friday resigned from all party positions, including its primary membership, delivering another blow to the embattled party that has seen several stalwarts bid adieu. "Ghulam Nabi Azad was a senior leader of the Congress. It is saddening that when the party fighting against inflation and polarisation, he decided to quit. "It is most unfortunate and regrettable that this has happened when the entire organisation is engaged in combating the BJP on issues of price rise and unemployment," the Congress said. Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also questioned the contents of the letter written by Azad. "Contents of the letter is not factual, timing is awful," he said. In a five-page no-holds-barred letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, that comes ahead of the

GNA's DNA has been 'Modi-fied': Cong's Jairam Ramesh on Ghulam Nabi Azad

Hitting back at Ghulam Nabi Azad over his criticism of the party leadership, the Congress on Friday linked his resignation to the end of his Rajya Sabha tenure and alleged his betrayal reveals his true character and that his DNA has "Modi-fied". "A man who has been treated with the greatest respect by the Congress leadership has betrayed it by his vicious personal attacks which reveals his true character. GNA's DNA has been Modi-fied," Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted. Speaking with reporters, the party's media department head Pawan Khera also lashed out at Azad and linked his resignation to end of his Rajya Sabha tenure. "As soon your Rajya Sabha term got over, you got restless. You could not stay without a post even for a second," Khera said. Azad on Friday resigned from all party positions, including its primary membership, ahead of organisational elections and accused the leadership of committing "fraud" on the party in the name of "sham

Ghulam Nabi Azab resigns from INC, points out Rahul Gandhi's behaviour

On August 17, Azad had quit from the post of chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress campaign committee just hours after his appointment as the head

Congress held four rounds of consultations were held with Azad: Report

After Ghulam Nabi Azad quit as the campaign committee Chairman hours after his appointment, sources in the Congress claimed that the party had held extensive consultations with him on every committee

Live news updates: India logs 9,062 new Covid cases, 36 deaths in 24 hours

Live news updates: Gandhi also appointed Vikar Rasool Wani, considered close to Azad, as the new JK unit chief

Sonia picks Ghulam Nabi Azad as JK Cong campaign chief, he declines

Azad is a prominent member of the G23 grouping within the Congress, which has been critical of the leadership and has been seeking an organisational overhaul

Former J-K CM and Cong leader Ghulam Nabi Azad tests Covid positive

Former chief minister and senior Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Prez Kovind confers Padma awards to 54 distinguished personalities

This year, no names were announced for 'Bharat Ratna', India's highest civilian award, which was last awarded in 2019 to Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh and Bhupen Hazarika

G-23 leaders likely to be adjusted in Congress, Azad may get RS berth

Azad is likely to be sent to the upper house while Anand Sharma, whose term expires on April 2, will be given important role in the Assembly polls

All political parties, including mine, create division: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Stating that political parties, including Congress, create division among people on various grounds, former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad,

Azad meets Sonia, pitches for 'united' fight in upcoming assembly polls

'Reiterated suggestions for strengthening Congress organisation,' says Ghulam Nabi Azad after meeting Sonia Gandhi