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Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is all set to launch his own party and its first unit would come up in Jammu and Kashmir within a fortnight, his close confidant GM Saroori said on Saturday, 27 August.
Saroori asserted that the restoration of the pre-5 August 2019 position of Jammu and Kashmir will be part of the party's manifesto.
A former minister who was among several prominent Congress leaders of Jammu and Kashmir who resigned from the basic membership of the party in support of Azad, Saroori said their leader was ideologically secular and there was no question of him working at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"Azad is coming to Jammu on 4 September to hold consultations with his well-wishers before the launch of our new party," Saroori, a former vice-president of the J-K unit of the Congress, told PTI.
Hours after his resignation on Friday, Azad 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 hails from the Bhaderwah township of Doda district, had told PTI on Friday night.
Saroori, who along with several former legislators met with Azad in New Delhi on Friday to extend their support, said the veteran politician was going to announce the launch of the party within the next fortnight.
Saroori said the new party would focus on development, unity among all sections of the society, and would struggle for restoration of the pre-5 August 2019 position.
Saroori said the Congress is almost finished in Jammu and Kashmir with the departure of Azad.
"There is a beeline of leaders (from J-K) coming to meet with Azad to extend their support. We have received hundreds of resignation letters from PRI members, including district and block development council members, and several municipal corporators," he said.
Over a dozen leaders, including several former ministers and legislators, resigned from the basic membership of the Congress in support of Azad and many more such as former deputy chief minister Tara Chand are likely to resign after meeting with Azad in New Delhi on Saturday.
"He is a secular leader who worked to strengthen the Congress over the past five decades. In fact, all of us have given our blood and sweat, but how can you stay back in a party which is insulting and humiliating you," he asked, blaming the Congress leadership for compelling them to take such a decision.
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Published: 26 Aug 2022,11:59 PM IST