Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and former Central Cabinet Minister during multiple Congress governments, quit the party on August 26, 2022.
The veteran leader, who had held several positions within the Congress party since the mid-70s, was scathing in his criticism of Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi.
What did Mr. Azad say in his resignation letter?
Mr. Azad first sought to assert his former loyalty to the party by pointing to his early work with Sanjay Gandhi (younger son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi) and how he spent time in Tihar jail during the late seventies for protesting the arrest of Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
He wrote that he even inducted Rajiv Gandhi into Indian Youth Congress in 1981.
Getting to the reasons behind his resignation, Ghulam Nabi Azad blamed former Congress President Rahul Gandhi for the party’s electoral misfortunes. He said that the consultative mechanism that benefited Sonia Gandhi in her decision-making was totally demolished by Rahul Gandhi from 2013 onwards.
Mr. Azad wrote that a coterie of inexperienced sycophants sidelined the senior leaders and ran the party.
Rahul Gandhi’s immaturity was evident when he tore up a government ordinance in full public view undermining the Prime Minister and the Government of India, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, adding that the incident had contributed significantly to the electoral loss in 2014.
Not heeding the recommendations of party committees, Rahul Gandhi’s leadership witnessed a humiliating defeat in two Lok Sabha elections, along with 39 assembly elections, he added.
Congress hits back
Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh and Digvijay Singh, hit back at Ghulam Nabi Azad for his timing and reasons.
While Jairam Ramesh suggested that Mr. Azad had been cozying up to the BJP, Digvijaya Singh said that the party had saved Mr. Azad from electoral defeat and awarded him a seat in the Rajya Sabha five times and that his allegations against Rahul Gandhi are baseless.