Ghulam Nabi Azad, a veteran Congress leader, resigned from the party on Friday and launched a ferocious attack on Rahul Gandhi. Citing Rahul as a “non-serious individual,” Azad claimed he had “demolished” the party’s “entire consultative mechanism,” sidelined all “senior and experienced” leaders, and given the party over to a “new coterie” of “inexperienced sycophants.”
Image Source: Deccan Herald
Azad served on the Congress Working Committee and the Sonia Gandhi-led political affairs group.
There were reports that the Gandhis wanted Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to take over as Congress president. Mr Azad soon wrote to Sonia, “Unfortunately, the situation in the Congress party has reached such a point of no return that now ‘proxies’ are being propped up to take over the leadership of the party.”
The letter said, “This experiment is doomed to fail because the party has been so comprehensively destroyed that the situation has become irretrievable. Moreover, the chosen one would be nothing more than a puppet on a string.”
Image Source: NDTV
Significantly, Azad, a prominent signatory to the letter 23 senior leaders wrote to Sonia Gandhi in August 2020 calling for sweeping changes in the party, mentioned Rahul’s infamous symbolic tearing up of an ordinance brought by the Manmohan Singh government to negate a Supreme Court order on disqualifying convicted MPs and MLAs, in 2013, and argued that act contributed significantly to the UPA government’s defeat in 2014.
However, Mr Azad praised Mrs Sonia Gandhi for the role of the president during the UPA government era by playing a “sterling role” in the formation of the UPA 1 & 2 governments.
Here is the entire letter of Mr Azad:
#GhulamNabiAzad resigns from all #Congress posts
The 'childish' behaviour of #RahulGandhi, more than anything else, contributed significantly to the defeat of UPA in 2014, says Ghulam Nabi Azad in his 5-page resignation letter from the Congress partyhttps://t.co/XkxzqgCVp5 pic.twitter.com/MGunm5Ee7R
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) August 26, 2022
Soon after Mr Azad resigned from his posts, five senior Congress leaders in Jammu & Kashmir resigned from the party as well to show solidarity with the veteran leader.
Image Source: The Quint
Ghulam Nabi Azad was one of the most prominent leaders in Jammu and Kashmir and even served as the Chief Minister for a brief period. He was also a prominent opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha and helped the country to grow. His resignation has signalled that the senior leaders in Congress are unhappy with the current leadership. Perhaps he was disappointed with the future president’s choice, but his letter might indicate otherwise. A senior leader like Mr Azad resigning from the Grand Old Party is signalling cracks within the party. Time will tell if he intends to join any other national party (such as the BJP or NCP) or if he wishes to create his own party.
Soon after Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from his posts, Twitter began tweeting it furiously and even shared memes.
#GhulamNabiAzad left Congress.
Ley BJP😹 pic.twitter.com/6w9mLnXEiW
— Zenral Sahab🇵🇰 The Bazwa® (@ZenralBazwa) August 26, 2022
The letter of #GhulamNabiAzad proves who is the real tyrant and autocratic party in India.@INCIndia can't even respect their senior leaders, can't keep them in confidence and then they've the audacity to cry for fascism and lack of freedom of speech! pic.twitter.com/QbDLvaCUeL
— Amit Rakshit 🇮🇳 (@amitrakshitbjp) August 26, 2022
Basically #GhulamNabiAzad wanted only experienced sycophants to be around…
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) August 26, 2022
Attack on Rahul Gandhi is not right because you know all members of that family personally. Sonia Gandhi has always taken advice from you. You were a part of CWC meetings & Core Committee meetings: LoP in Rajya Sabha and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge#GhulamNabiAzad pic.twitter.com/tOTXssatTg
— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2022
“While you are just a nominal figurehead all important decisions were taken by Rahul Gandhi or worse his security guards and PAs”
Absolutely damning remarks by #ghulamnabiazad in his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi. Also addresses attacks on G23. pic.twitter.com/sPMQ6iJGSv
— Fatima Khan (@khanthefatima) August 26, 2022
It starts from here.#GhulamNabiAzad pic.twitter.com/fvSMxESbZT
— Dr.Aaditya Mehta 🇮🇳 (@DrAadityaMehta) August 26, 2022
A senior leader like #GhulamNabiAzad who served the party for so many years since the time of Indira Gandhi had to resign.
He was a sensible face of the party who must have felt so much suffocated that had no choice .
This proves the bankruptcy in Congress.— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) August 26, 2022
#GhulamNabiAzad right now 😎 pic.twitter.com/fSbD50sbGI
— Dr. Raj 😈 (@MemebhaiMBBS) August 26, 2022
Devastating for the Congress or whatever is left of it! #ghulamnabiazad https://t.co/s1H15uUzhC
— Seetu Mahajan Kohli (@kohliseetu) August 26, 2022
What are your thoughts on his resignation? Let us know in the comment box below!
References: The Hindustan Times and The Indian Express
Featured Image Source: Zee News
