Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: Although his loyalists were gathered in a large number in the function organized by the ‘Civil Society’, former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad once again delayed his much-awaited announcement regarding his future political action.
Within a hope that Azad would announce his next move, all his supporters were present in the function but the former leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha has disappointed the by delivering the almost apolitical speech.
Instead of taking a stand, Azad preferred to avoid contentious issues during his speech.
“I believe that Mahatma Gandhi was the biggest Hindu and secularist. Pakistan and militancy are responsible for what has happened in J&K, it has affected all Hindus, Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiri Muslims, Dogras”, Azad said. “Political parties may create a divide 24x7 on basis of religion, caste & other things; I'm not forgiving any party incl mine. Civil society should stay together. Justice must be given to everyone irrespective of caste, religion”, Azad further said in his speech.
Highly placed sources said that after his meeting with Congress working president Sonia Gandhi, Azad has shown some flexibility.
Two days after the G-23 dissident group in the Congress openly asked the party to adopt a model of “collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels” and projected it as the “only way forward”, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday met Ghulam Nabi Azad to defuse the crisis.
Azad later said Sonia’s place at the helm has not been questioned.
During the hour-long meeting, Azad is learnt to have put forward a set of proposals calling for elections to the Congress Working Committee, making the Central Election Committee an elected body and reviving the defunct Parliamentary Board to ensure that decision-making is collective.
This was the second meeting between the Gandhi family and the G-23 leadership. On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi met former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The leadership had opened a channel of communication with the G-23 earlier this week with Sonia speaking to Azad over the phone. |
