In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Congress leader and current chief of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party, spoke about his experiences in the Congress, his strained relationship with the top brass, and his reasons for leaving the party. Azad also spoke about his vision for his newly formed party and his home state, Jammu and Kashmir.
Though Azad has no ill-will towards the Congress, he criticized the party high command and compared their present-day leadership to when Indira Gandhi was at the helm, noting that the party’s functioning has undergone a sea-change and that an “appointment culture” has taken over. He disagreed with Indira Gandhi’s perception as a “dictator,” insisting that he found her style of working to be very democratic.
Azad said that the Congress became “inimical” to him after he quit the party, and that they opposed him even when Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him on the floor of the House. Azad pointed out the mistakes Rahul Gandhi made as Congress leader, such as not taking the anger of then-Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma seriously. Sarma went on to join the BJP and is now the chief minister of Assam.
Azad also spoke about his vision for his newly-formed Democratic Progressive Azad Party and his ambitions for his home state of Jammu and Kashmir. He seeks to create a “new narrative of development and regional representation” in the region and wants to bring about systemic changes to promote progress and inclusivity.
In the interview, Azad did not shy away from speaking the truth about his experiences with the Congress and his vision for the future. While his exit from the party was certainly a loss for them, his leadership of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party could prove to be a game-changer in Jammu and Kashmir politics.
