Launching a scathing attack on his former colleague, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Vikar Rasool on August 29 said Ghulam Nabi Azad was waiting for a signal from the “high-command” to launch a new party.
“I have been close to Azad sahib. Even he suggested my name for the post of J&K president. This process of launching a party was going on for two years. I always suggested against it. However, he was waiting for a signal from the high-command, the same people who shed tears for him,” Mr. Rasool said, in an oblique reference to the BJP.
He said Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed launching of parties in the past too. “So what if he launches a new party. We see this as another party like BJP or Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference,” Mr. Rasool said.
He said J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari was now calling Mr. Azad the ‘B’ team of the BJP. “They are only ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams. God knows which one is ‘C’ team. People of J&K can doubt any party for joining the BJP but not the Congress,” he said.
He said the party knew the worth of those leaders leaving the Congress to join Mr. Azad. “Let them face people,” he added.
He said that in his political career he had never seen such “immoral politics from anyone”. “Azad’s resignation after 50 years of affiliation with the party is disheartening,” he added.