In more than 45 years of public life, Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad has always stayed away from controversies. But given the low returns the Congress is getting election after election, Azad feels it is time to speak up.
In an exclusive interview to News18 after addressing a rally in Jammu’s Ramban area, Azad touched on party democracy, or lack thereof, in the current Congress leadership with a veiled reference. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
“The present generation of Congress is not ready for suggestions. If some senior members give, it is seen as an offense or rebellion,” Azad said, adding that the advice of senior leaders should not be taken as an insult or a challenge.
Azad is among 23 senior leaders, dubbed G23 or Group of 23 by the media, who wrote to Congress President Sonia Gandhi last year, suggesting that the party should introspect on the back-to-back electoral debacle and seek a new one. Must come up with a strategy. The group also emphasized the need to democratize party processes, beginning with organizational elections to elect a president.
Azad told News18 on Sunday that the leaders have a good relationship with Sonia Gandhi, but added that the younger generation is not eager to listen to the seniors.
Asked about his recent remarks that he does not see the Congress winning 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, Azad sought to clarify that he was only referring to the time when the party under Indira Gandhi won 300+ seats. seats were won and the time when with Narasimha Rao crossed 250. as Prime Minister. “In the last few decades, we have won very few seats. It is for everyone to see,” he said.
“It hurts when our advice is not heeded. We give suggestions for the overall improvement of the party. None of us wants any post in the party. We only want the party’s performance to improve.
Talking about the pending organizational elections, Azad said that the party initially held elections for the post of president every year, which was later increased to two and five years. “And these days, there is no time limit… the Congress leadership is not as flexible as it was. It was known internationally,” he said bluntly.
Asked whether the Congress was declining, Azad said, “It is for all to see.”
“I am a staunch Congressman…the party needs to introspect, work together, strategize and pull itself up and become a force to be reckoned with.”
Azad also admitted to infighting in the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress, but tried to distance himself from it. “I have nothing to do with it. My rallies have nothing to do with it.’
The Jammu and Kashmir unit is in a state of crisis and 20 senior and middle class leaders have resigned from party posts. Last month, leaders wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi, asking her to reform the local Congress unit and replace the current president, Ghulam Ahmed Mir.
Asked whether the leaders wanted him to lead the Jammu and Kashmir unit, Azad said he had no such ambition. Many Congress leaders close to Mir, however, watch Azad’s sudden political movements in Jammu and Kashmir. “Who is he batting for and what is his motive?” A leader asked the question while speaking to News18 on the condition of anonymity.
The former chief minister has recently held several rallies in Chenab, Pir Panjal and Kashmir and has advocated for human rights and employment besides criticizing the government for sacking employees. “Who is Deadwood? The current government or local employees? These are strange times,” he said at the rally, followed by cheers from the gathering.
Azad had come under criticism from former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who, without naming the Congress veteran, said some leaders “abandoned” their position on the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir.
Azad, in his several rallies, has urged the Center to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, hold elections and restore the assembly so that welfare programs can be taken to the people. Azad, however, generally refrained from speaking on the restoration of special status, saying either the courts or the present government at the Center can back it.
“Let us be pragmatic. The present regime had taken away the special articles and it will not return them. Courts can pronounce judgments on this, but there has been no hearing for the past several months.”
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