Ghulam Nabi Azad vouches for restoration of J-K statehood

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Democratic Azad Party chairperson, on Sunday reiterated the demand for the restoration of statehood ahead of the assembly elections scheduled next year.
Former Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Democratic Azad Party chairperson Ghulam Nabi Azad addressed a public rally in Kathua and launched three main agendas of his outfit. “We have three main agendas, first to restore statehood, second to reserve the rights of purchasing lands for J&K people only, and third to reserve job rights only for local youth”, Azad said in a public rally. Adding that we will not step back until these agendas are fulfilled. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday announced that his new political outfit will be named the ‘Democratic Azad Party’. The development comes exactly a month after Azad resigned from the Congress party.
At a press conference here to announce the name of the new party, Azad stated that it will be secular, democratic, and independent of any influence.
Azad also unveiled the flag of the Democratic Azad Party. The flag has three colours-mustard, white, and blue.
Earlier, Azad, in his first public meeting in Jammu after quitting Congress, announced the launch of his own political outfit that will focus on the restoration of full statehood.
Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from Congress on August 26 after serving for 52 years.
In his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, he targeted the party leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi, over the way the party has been run in the past nearly nine years.
Azad claimed in the five-page letter that the party is run by a coterie, with Sonia Gandhi serving as “a nominal head” and all major decisions being made by “Rahul Gandhi or rather his security guards and PAs.”
He was earlier the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Recounting his long association with the Congress, Azad had said the situation in the party had reached a point of “no return.” While Azad took potshots at Sonia Gandhi in the letter, his sharpest attack was on Rahul Gandhi, and he described the Wayand MP as a “non-serious individual” and “immature”.