NEW DELHI: The Congress's worst fears are coming true. After having overshadowed two events of the organisation, former party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad seems to be on his way to challenge a third one. One may ask whether it is a mere coincidence or is it by design.
The Congress party had announced long back to hold ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ (Attack on price rise) rally in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, on September 4.
However, Azad, who quit the Congress last month, has given a call for holding a ‘Better J&K (Jammu and Kashmir)’ rally in Jammu on September 4 itself. His rally will take place in Jammu’s Sainik Farms located in Sainik Colony at 11 am. He is likely to announce the formation of his political party on that day.
The Congress’s ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ rally will be addressed by party leader Rahul Gandhi, among others. He is abroad at the moment. His mother and Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi is in Italy where the latter’s mother Paola Maino passed away on August 27.
This would be the third time when Azad has organised an event which has clashed with the Congress’s scheduled programme.
On the first occasion, the Congress had announced a day in advance to hold a press conference on August 26. It was to be addressed by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries Ajay Maken and Jairam Ramesh.
However, the same morning, Azad announced his resignation from the party by releasing a five-page letter to Sonia Gandhi. It stunned the Congress leaders who were taken off guard.
Azad’s exit forced the Congress to defer the press conference on liquor policy for the next day.
In the second instance, the Congress leaders held 22 press conferences in different parts of the country on August 29. Different leaders held the press conferences in different locations to apprise the people of the party’s forthcoming ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ to commence from Kanyakumari on September 7.
However, on August 29, Azad called some mediapersons at his official residence in Delhi and attacked the Congress and Rahul. This overshadowed the Congress’s event.
The rallies by Azad and the Congress on September 4 are the third occasion when their events are clashing.
Coincidence or design?
Asked whether Azad’s moves were mere coincidences or were they by design, senior Congress leaders firmly said the former party leader was “playing into the hands of the BJP”.
Talking to TOI, AICC spokesperson and chairman of media and publicity department Pawan Khera said, “It cannot be a coincidence that Mr Azad decides to synchronise his petulant rants with our programmes. His remote control is in the hands of the BJP.”
Congress spokesperson Alka Lamba echoed the same sentiments as Khera. She alleged that Azad was “playing into the hands of the BJP”.
She said, “Of course, it is by design. Azad ji was supposed to address the ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ rally on September 4 in Delhi. Hope he speaks against the BJP government at the Centre on issues such as inflation and unemployment during his ‘Better J&K’ rally in Jammu the same day.”
The day Azad resigned, the Congress had expressed apprehensions about its impact on the party’s forthcoming programmes.
Jairam Ramesh had regretted Azad’s resignation and said, “It is most unfortunate and most regrettable that this has happened when the Congress president Smt Sonia Gandhi ji, Sri Rahul Gandhi ji and the entire Congress party organisation across the country are engaged in confronting, combating and fighting the BJP on issues of mehangai (price rise), berozgari (unemployment) and polarisation. The entire Congress party organisation in the last couple of weeks has been involved in preparing for the 'Mehangai Par Halla Bol' rally at Ramlila Maidan on September 4 which should be addressed by Rahul Gandhi ji.”
He talked about the 22 press conferences which were scheduled across the country on August 29 and the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to be launched on September 7.
Ramesh said, “So, at a time when every Congressman and every Congress woman is involved in ensuring that the 'Mehangai par halla bol' rally will be a success, wants to be a Bharat yatri and wants to walk along with Rahul Gandhi ji on this 3,500 long Bharat Jodo Yatra, it is most unfortunate and most regrettable that at this point of time we have had to read this letter which has been released to the press.”
