Azad to begin new innings in J&K from nonpolitical platform
AVINAV VERMA. Updated: 2/23/2021 10:33:57 AM
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Jammu: The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and former Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad is all set to start his new innings in Jammu and Kashmir from nonpolitical platform.
Arriving first time in Jammu and Kashmir after completing his term in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad will attend a non-political function.
Credible sources informed The News Now, the former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha will arrive in Jammu on February 27 to attended a function of Non-Government Organization (NGO) Gandhi Global Family, which is scheduled to held two days after the mega convention of Congress party.
Azad is closely associated and president of Gandhi Global Family, which is a United Nations DGC accredited NGO, founded to propagate ideology of Mahatma Gandhi.
Azad and Former Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and joined Gandhian Movement in 1969 when he was a college student.
Gandhi Global Family Vice President S P Varma, confirmed the arrival of former Union Minister on February 27.
“Ghulam Nabi Azad may not attend the party function on February 25 but will attend the function of NGO Gandhi Global Family, which is scheduled on February 27 with his loyalist,” a source said.
“Many of his loyalist are formulating the strategy to join the stalwart and show strength in nonpolitical function,” he added.
“In the backdrop of Azad’s arrival first time after completing his tenure of Rajya Sabha, many of his loyalist will “boycott” the party function,” a party insider told this scribe, wishing not to be named.
During his last session in the Rajya Sabha which completed on February 10, the Ghulam Nabi Azad had raised the demand for restoring statehood of Jammu and Kashmir
"I never heard (former PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee or any BJP leader (before the Modi government) who ever demanded that Jammu and Kashmir should be split into two. There was a demand for UT in only one district of Ladakh (Leh), not Kargil," Azad had said in the Rajya Sabha.
Azad had said, “I request the Prime Minister to restore the statehood of J&K and conduct elections.” He said, “When the state government was there, there was much development, less militancy and law and order was better.”
“Tourism is down in the state and people are sitting at home, education has been finished, how can there be development without schools. And because of internet issues, online classes cannot be conducted.”
But he had congratulated the government for conducting the District Development Council (DDC) polls in J&K. The Congress leader claimed the people were unhappy due to scrapping of Article 370.