Ahead of Azad’s public rally, J&K Cong leaders discuss measures to strengthen party
Jammu: Amid a flurry of resignations by Congress leaders and workers in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad, the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit on Thursday said its core philosophy and “pro-people agenda” cannot be weakened by “benefit seekers and promoters of cult politics”.
Referring to Azad’s exit from the Congress, they said the grand old party has always emerged stronger after the exit of modern-day “Jaichands and Mir Jaffars”.
Azad, 73, a former chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, ended his five-decade association with the Congress on August 26, terming the party “comprehensively destroyed” and lashing out at party leader Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing” its entire consultative mechanism.
Thursday’s meeting, chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Vikar Rasool Wani comes ahead of Azad’s scheduled public address in the city on September 04.
“The meeting took stock of the party affairs and deliberated upon the measures to be taken to strengthen it at the grassroots,” a senior party leader said.
He said all those who participated in the meeting, including former unit president G A Mir, working president Raman Bhalla and Congress working committee member Tariq Hameed Karra, held a unanimous view that the Congress’ core philosophy and “pro-people agenda” cannot be weakened by “benefit seekers and promoters of cult politics”.
Since Azad’s resignation, over two dozen prominent leaders – a former deputy chief minister, eight former ministers, a former MP, nine legislators – and a large number of Panchayati Raj Institution members, municipal corporators and grassroots workers from across the Union territory have defected to his camp.
The Congress, however, has maintained that it has always emerged stronger after the exit of modern-day “Jaichands and Mir Jaffars”.
While Rajput ruler Jaichand is alleged to have betrayed his son-in-law Prithvi Raj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain against the invading Afghan forces, Mir Jafar, who was the army commander under Siraj ud-Daulah, is believed to have betrayed the Nawab of Bengal during the Battle of Plassey.
