Following Ghulam Nabi Azad’s decision to quit Congress, at least six former MLAs, some of them ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir government, have resigned from the party on Friday.
While five of them tendered a joint resignation, other—R S Chib submitted it separately. All of the leaders have resigned in support of Azad, who has served as health minister of India, opposition leader in Parliament and 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,” Chib, a close confidant of Azad said in the letter to party present 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 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.
“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 joint resignation include GM Saroori, Choudhary Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Amin Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad and Abdur Rashid Dar. (GNS)
