Is Congress headed for a split in J&K?
Sajjad Hameed
Srinagar Dec 15: All India Congress Committee (AICC) Wednesday accepted the resignation of four of its senior members close to former J&K Chief Minister and member parliament Ghulam Nabi Azad in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress high command taking cognizance of the resignation tendered by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), Vice Presidents G M Saroori, Gulam Nabi Monga, Mohammad Anwar Bhat decided to accept their resignation, with immediate effect.
The party high command also accepted the resignation of In-charge DCC President Budgam Zahid Hussain Jan.
All these leaders are close to the Congress rebel leader Azad, who along with other senior Congress leaders have formed the G-23 group.
After Azad’s Rajya Sabha term ended, the Congress asked Azad to head the party’s J&K unit but he refused, saying that the party is non-existent there, said Shiv Sena Member Parliament Sanjay Raut quoting Rahul Gandhi in his weekly column Rokhthok in party mouthpiece Saamana.
“He (Azad) can become the chief minister again after elections. But, he refused, saying the Congress didn’t exist there. Azad has been the chief minister there and he thinks the Congress doesn’t exist there,” Rahul Gandhi told Raut.
Raut was in New Delhi recently and met both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. Shiv Sena and the Congress are in alliance in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Azad has been drawing crowds in Jammu and Kashmir and addressed 10 public meetings from 16 November to 4 December, including two in Kashmir.
Unlike other regional parties, he seems to have put the demand for restoration of Article 370 on the back burner and is only demanding the return of statehood to the J&K.
