Srinagar: Following Ghulam Nabi Azad’s decision to quit congress, around a dozen leaders, some of them ministers in erstwhile State government, resigned from the grand old party on Friday.
While five of them tendered a joint resignation, other—others submitted it separately but all of them have done it in support of the Azad, ex-Health minister of India, former leader of Opposition in Parliament and former Chief Minister of J&K.
“Over the years as a member of the Congress Party, it has been my sincere endeavour to work for the betterment of my State – Jammu & Kashmir. I feel that in the prevailing circumstances Congress Party has lost its momentum in contributing towards the future of my State,” R S Chib, a close confidant of Azad said in the letter to party President Sonia Gandhi.
“Keeping in view the turmoil that the State of J&K has witnessed over the past decades, the people require a decisive leader like Jb. Ghulam Nabi Azad to guide them towards a better future. I feel that the Congress Party has not been able to play the role that is expected of it,” reads the letter, shared to media including GNS.
“I firmly believe that there is a growing divergence between my views and the views of those at the helm of the Party affairs. In light of the same, I feel that the best course of action would be for me to part ways with your Party,” he said, adding, “Accordingly, I am tendering my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress.”
Others who tendered papers include former minister Jugal Kishor Sharma from Reasi, ex-MLCs— Sham Lal Bhagat and Naresh Gupta, Salman Nazmi(Congress National spokesperson), GM Saroori, Choudhary Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Amin Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad and Abdur Rashid Dar besides district presidents from Doda and Kishtwar. (GNS)