Srinagar: Political foes of June, 2008 today turned friends as PDP not only welcomed back Ghulam Nabi Azad into J&K politics but also defended him for forming a new party saying it is his democratic right.
PDP in June , 2008 withdrew support to Azad’s government, which led to its fall. Today when Azad is under intense attack from some political parties for leaving Congress and forming a new party, PDP welcomed him back and described him as a towering political leader.
Congress and Apni Party are accusing Azad of launching the new party “at the behest of BJP leadership at Centre.”
PDP general secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura while talking to media persons today said, “Azad sahab is a towering political leader and he is welcome back to J&K. It is a democratic right of any person including Azad sahab to leave a party and form a new party.”
Hanjura said it is an internal matter of Congress as to why Azad left it.
Asked that will the PDP form an electoral alliance with Azad’s party, Hanjura said,” Elections are nowhere in sight right now. But when the election time comes, we will see, what is to be done.”
About the allegation of some parties that Azad’s new party will be BJP’s A team, the senior PDP leader said,” It is very unfortunate. They are accusing each other. The B team says that the new party is A team. Let them decide who is what. So far PDP is concerned we were never A team, B team or C team. ” He added that his party leadership has great regard for Azad.
PDP welcoming Azad back and also defending his moves, clearly reflects the turns and twists Kashmir politics is undergoing after the re-entry of former Congress leader. One of the reasons for this new found friendship may be the brewing tension between Bukhari’s Apni Party and Azad camp.
Bukhari had yesterday alleged that Azad has the blessings of BJP in leaving Congress and forming new party.
He also blamed the former Congress leader for not working in the interests of the people of J&K when he was leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and when article 370 was abrogated.
Taj Mohiu Din, who resigned from Congress to join Azad’s party said Bukhari is unhappy since some Congress leaders, who had joined Apni Party in past, are joining ” our party now.”
Bukhari, a former PDP leader, had formed some years back his own party, Apni Party, in which most PDP leaders joined later. He has been criticising frequently PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and her policies.
Bukhari recently said she has secret understanding with the central government. PDP also reacts. The tension between Apni Party and Azad camp is suiting PDP. It seems PDP welcomed Azad and his new party to irritate further Apni Party for the time being.
There is no end yet to a trend in the mainstream camp that whenever the leaders try to discredit each other, they level the allegations against their rivals of being close to Central Government and working on its directions on political matters. The leaders keep on denying these allegations.