‘We tried hard to make Rahul Gandhi a…’: Ghulam Nabi Azad says he was FORCED to leave Congress

New Delhi: Former Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently resigned from all party positions in Congress, on Monday claimed that he did not quit the grand old party on his own but he was “forced” to leave. Speaking to media persons in the national capital, Azad said, “I have been forced to leave my home.” Taking a dig at the Congress over his resignation, he said, “PM Modi is an excuse, they have had an issue with me since the G23 letter was written. They never wanted anyone to write to them, question them.”

“Several (Congress) meetings happened, but not even a single suggestion was taken,” he claimed Azad. The former J&K Congress veteran also said that he has great respect for Sonia Gandhi and the members of the Gandhi family. He went on to say that all Congress leaders tried hard to help Rahul Gandhi in emerging as a successful leader but he showed no interest.

“My respect for Sonia Gandhi is the same as 30 years back, respect for Rahul Gandhi is the same as that befitting Indira Gandhi’s family, Rajiv-Sonia Gandhi’s son. Personally, I pray for his long life. We tried to make him a successful leader but he’s not interested..,” says Azad.

#WATCH | “My respect for Sonia Gandhi is same as 30 yrs back, respect for Rahul Gandhi is same as that befitting Indira Gandhi’s family,Rajiv-Sonia Gandhi’s son. Personally,I pray for his long life. We tried to make him a successful leader but he’s not interested..,” says GN Azad pic.twitter.com/7YqVuGRy5h
— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2022

Azad on Friday resigned from all posts of the party citing the “immaturity” of Rahul Gandhi whom he blamed for “demolishing the consultative mechanism” in the party. In a hard-hitting 5 page note to party interim president Sonia Gandhi, Azad claimed that a coterie runs the party while she was just a nominal head, and all the major decisions were taken by “Shri Rahul Gandhi or rather worse his security guards and PAs”.

A few days before that, Azad resigned from the organisational post of Jammu and Kashmir. Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, Azad wrote, “Since the 2019 elections the situation in the party has only worsened. After. Rahul Gandhi stepped down in a `huff` and not before insulting all the senior Party functionaries who have given their lives to the party in a meeting of the extended Working Committee, you took over as interim President. A position that you have continued to hold even today for the past three years.”

Several political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday met veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is planning to launch a new national party, a day after tendering resignations from all posts of Congress.

“MLAs from Jammu and Kashmir are here. A few more-some senior leaders and ex-ministers-will come in the evening. Azad Sa`ab said a national party will be formed, we`ll begin from J&K and the upcoming poll will be fought strongly. Don`t want to reply to comments, we`ll reply with a victory,” said ex-Congress leader Salman Nizami.

The meeting came within 24 hours of Azad`s resignation from all posts in Congress and it holds importance as the polls in the valley are likely to be held later this year. “Under the leadership of Azad Ji we will launch a national party and the work will begin from Jammu and Kashmir. Azad Ji will go to J&K and will form an alliance with like-minded parties and leaders. All the criticism coming Azad Ji`s way will be answered by winning elections,” ex- Congress leader Salman Nizami had earlier announced.

The decision to launch a new national party came just hours after the veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, in a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi resigned from all positions of the Congress party including the primary membership. 

(With Agency Inputs)