In a tweet, Mr Azad said that he met Mr Shah on Wednesday regarding the land eviction issues in J&K. “Met union Home minister Amit Shah Ji regarding land eviction issues in J&K. Apprised him about the prevailing unrest & uncertainty among the common people who are forced to vacate the properties which are otherwise recognized by successive regimes. Amit Shah Ji assured me no small land holders who constructed houses will be touched!,” said Mr Azad, in a series of tweets.

Met union Home minister Amit Shah Ji regarding land eviction issues in J&K. Apprised him about the prevailing unrest & uncertainty among the common people who are forced to vacate the properties which are otherwise recognized by successive regimes. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/6shlFtQEbJ

— Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad) February 2, 2023

The DAP chairman said that he informed the Home Minister that the majority of the occupants who are holding small lands and have constructed houses over the past few decades are migrants and are mostly victims of militancy, “as well as victims of abnormal situations arisen from time to time, being a border state.”

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Sources close to these leaders, including former deputy chief minister Tara Chand and former minister Peerzada Muhammad Syed said over half a dozen former senior Congress leaders, who had joined Azad’s Democratic Azad Party (DAP), would return to the Congress on Friday.

“Those scheduled to return to the Congress include over half a dozen senior leaders and their ‘Ghar wapsi’ will take place at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

“J&K Congress president, Vikar Rasool Wani will be present during the Ghar wapsi ceremony”, sources said.

Azad had formed his own party, the Democratic Azad Party (DAP) and announced his decision to take part in the forthcoming Assembly elections in J&K.

Unless he is able to hold his flock intact, Azad’s dream to provide an alternative to the people of J&K could become a damp squib.

The post Deserting Azad, senior leaders to return to Congress today appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Expressing “shock” at the reports in a section of media in this regard, Azad, in a tweet, said: “… Unfortunately such stories are being planted by a section of leaders in the congress party right now and are doing this just to demoralise my leaders and supporters”.

“I don’t have any ill will against congress party and its leadership, however I request them to tell these habitual story planters to refrain from doing so.

“Once again I would like to insist that this story is completely baseless!” he said in a subsequent tweet.

There have been reports of back channel talks within Congress circles.

Azad had resigned from the Congress in August following his differences with the party high command and had targeted Rahul Gandhi and his coterie. He went on to form his own party in September-end.

Having joined the Congress in the mid-1970s, he had held many important positions both in the party and the government.

A Union Minister in governments of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh, Azad was a party General Secretary under every party chief.

He was the Chief Minister of J&K from 2005 to 2008.

The post ‘Completely baseless’: Ghulam Nabi Azad on reports of rejoining Congress appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

As per a DAP spokesman, Azad told LG that “of late it has turned into a nightmare for them as their fruit-laden trucks are being made to wait for days together on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at some vulnerable spots, resulting in the rotting of the fruits due to the long wait”.

He said that the halting of trucks was resulting into rotting of fruits while demanding that the trucks be treated as urgent like ambulances so that growers don’t face losses.

As per the party spokesman, Azad also discussed the power supply scenario with the LG ahead of winter and requested

the LG to direct concerned authorities to ensure adequate power supply. 

The post Azad calls on LG Sinha, raises halting of fruit trucks on highway appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

A resolution to this effect was passed at a founder members session, which was held both in Jammu and Srinagar, the leader said, adding the decision was unanimous.

Azad, 73, who quit the Congress on August 26, launched DAP in Jammu on September 26 with the support of dozens of former ministers, ex-legislators and other prominent leaders, majority of whom also resigned from the Congress in his support.

They include former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, former ministers Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Taj Mohiuddin, G M Saroori, R S Chib, Jugal Kishore, Majid Wani and Manohar Lal Sharma among others.

Azad spent four days in Kashmir from September 27 before returning to Jammu.

The post Azad elected chairman of Democratic Azad Party appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Even as over two dozen former ministers and legislators of the Congress, including ex-deputy chief minister Tara Chand have joined Azad, Wani said the Congress has started a campaign to strengthen the party at the grassroots in all the 90 constituencies and will bring young faces to ensure the defeat of those who quit the party.

During the party convention in Katra in Reasi district, the JKPCC chief also welcomed former Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP) leader Bupender Singh Jamwal and his supporters into the party fold.

Jamwal was expelled by the DSSP on September 21 for anti-party activities”.

Without naming Azad and his colleagues, Wani said, The turncoats have announced a party and I want to tell them that they stand exposed. (Prime Minister Narendera) Modi wept for you (in Parliament) because you were close to him rather than the Congress. You have been showered with awards…

I know about your conspiracies against the Congress very well, Wani, who was considered a close confidante of Azad before he quit the party in August, said.

Wani said the Congress was a “movement” and a party that believed in secularism. “This is the party whose leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives, and Rahul Gandhi is on a Bharat Jodo Yatra’ to unite the country, he added.

Asking the people to continue supporting the party, he said, We are going to introduce young faces and you have to support them and make them win (the elections). You will not support that (Azad’s) party and the BJP which skinned the people in the country with inflation, growing unemployment, GST and demonetisation.

Wani said the party has started a campaign to reach out to the people from Katra on the occasion of the first Navratra. We will have rallies in all the 90 assembly constituencies and we will emerge strong enough to defeat the opponents, he added.

He also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and said when India got freedom from the British due to sustained struggle of the Congress, even a needle was being imported from outside the country.

It was not Modi but the Congress which developed the country, made it a nuclear power, an economic hub and a strong military power. Since this government (BJP) came to power at the Centre, the destruction is visible everywhere, he said.

Wani urged the people to vote taking into account their experiences with the present dispensation over the last eight years.

The post Azad’s party team of turncoats: JKPCC chief appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Azad, who had quit Congress, last month, announced the name while speaking to reporters in Jammu.

“Around 1,500 names for my new party were sent to us, in Urdu, Sanskrit. The mix of Hindi & Urdu is ‘Hindustani’. We want the name to be democratic, peaceful & independent,” said Azad.

The former leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha said that there will be no autocracy in his party. “The wait is over. My party’s name is Democratic Azad Party (DAP). Don’t misconstrue or connect Azad word in the party’s name with my personal name,” he said, reported news agency KNO.

Azad was flanked by former Congress leaders and Ministers Tara Chand, G M Saroori, R S Chib and others.

He said that DAP means the party will be democratic in nature and will follow democratic rules. “Azad doesn’t mean my name but it means the party will be independent in nature and there will be no pressure. And the party doesn’t mean just a party but an institution.

About the flag and its colours, Azad said that mustard colour means creativity and it also means diversity as well. “Our country India and J&K is full of diversity. White means peace. We are followers of Gandhiji and will follow path of peace. Dark blue means deep sea, rather a depth from deep sea to skies. We should have depth,” he said.

He said that there will be elections in the party from grassroot level. “We are here to compete at our own level. I have no competition with any party. Will compete like students compete with each other in a classroom. We don’t have any an enemy or foe. Public is supreme and they have to decide about our fate,” Azad said, adding that for him, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians are “just four chambers of a human heart.”

He said that 50 per cent tickets will be given to youth. About article 370, Azad said that he never said it won’t be restored. “I stated if someone can persuade PM Narendera Modiji or Home Minister Amit Shahji. Frankly speaking, I don’t have such influence,” he said. “If someone can persuade Modiji or Shah, they are welcome. I can’t do that as I have no such strength at present.”

On the bill seeking roll back of Article 370, Home Minister got 86 per cent votes while nine parties got only 14 percent votes. “86 per cent matters,” he said.

Replying to a query, Azad said that Article 370 was the child of accession that remained in force for 70 long years. “Supreme Court has decided to consider the hearing, let’s see,” he said.

About Congress, he said that he remained affiliated with the party for a long time but he was always a follower of Mahatma Gandhi since his college days

To a query about apple trucks being halted on national highways, Azad said that apple trucks should be prioritized like Ambulances. “The way we give way to Ambulances to proceed on roads, same should be applied on apple trucks. Otherwise, what is the fun of bumper apple crop,” Azad said, adding that the government should also consider and announce compensation to the farmers whose crops got damaged in Jammu areas due to rain and hail storm.

The post ‘Democratic Azad Party’: Ghulam Nabi Azad announces name of his new party appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

“Rembering the true visionary, patriot and the last Dogra ruler of J&K, Maharaja Hari Singhji on his birth anniversary today, ” Azad said in a statement. Azad, who recently quit Congress, recalled the “sea of changes in J&K brought in by Maharaja Hari Singh”. 

“His well-organised public administration system, people friendly policies, promotion of free & compulsory education for all, developmental and infrastructural works etc. were milestones in J&K’s development, ” he said.

“His religion was ‘justice to all’. In his public speech the Maharaja remarked “If I am considered worth governing this State, then I will say that for me all communities, religions and races are equal. As a ruler, I have no religion; all religions are mine and my religion is justice, ” he added. 

The post Azad pays tribute to Maharaja Hari Singh on his birth anniversary appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

A spokesman for Mr Azad said that eight youngsters from Chalad in Kannur district of Kerala were touring Leh-Ladakh on four motorbikes when one of the bikes met with an accident on their way from Kargil to Leh. “Two boys named Tayyib S/o Mr. Sattar and Vysakh S/o Mr. Pradeepan, were severely injured. The boys were shifted to Bone and Joint Surgical hospital, Barazulla, Srinagar, J&K,” he said, in a statement.

Mr. Azad, he said, immediately got in touch with the hospital administration and concerned doctors for better care and treatment of these boys.  “The doctors were advised to treat them as guests and provide all facilities. The boys are operated, one of them is perfectly well and the other, the doctors said, it will take 3-4weeks for recovery,” he said.

Mr. Azad visited the hospital on Friday to inquire about their wellbeing and met with the boys and the doctors.  “Mr. Azad offered all help and support to the boys and told the hospital administration and doctors in case of any need they can get in touch with him since the patient’s relatives & dear ones are far away in Kerala,” said the spokesman.

Mr. Azad also requested that there is no need for their parents/relatives to travel all the way to Srinagar. “Everything required [for their treatment] will be met by Mr. Azad himself,” he added.   

The post Azad visits B&J hospital Barzulla, assures all help to Kerala boys injured in bike accident appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Azad, who is on a visit to Kashmir  was presented with the traditional headgear by the shrine committee. 

He was accompanied by other fellow leaders who also quit the Congress along with him. 

The post Azad visits Dargah Hazratbal shrine, gets rousing welcome appeared first on Greater Kashmir.