Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress: As it happened

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said she would not comment on Azad's resignation as "it is an internal matter of the Congress party".

Azad in his stint as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir from November 2005 to July 2008 left an indelible mark on the the erstwhile state and its development.

Former PCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said it was unfortunate that Azad, who was given important posts during his 45 years in the Congress, fled the battlefield when asked to do something for the party in J&K. 

"The Congress bestowed on him everything in the past 40 years to make him one of the biggest voices to emerge from Jammu and Kashmir. Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, CWC membership, chiefministership...Everything was served to him on a platter," Mir said. 

JK BJP president Ravinder Raina said Azad was a "towering leader" and with his resignation, the Congress ship has sunk completely.

He said the BJP's doors are always "open for all those who want to contribute to the nation".

Rahul Gandhi is our leader and will remain so. We don’t have a give and take relationship with Rahul Gandhi. It’s not that we can’t go anywhere but we will not go and will remain with the party. We see this country’s future with the party and hope that party will rise: Congress leader Salman Khurshid

Following Ghulam Nabi Azad`s resignation from the party on Friday, a number of senior party leaders, including former legislators, of the party in Jammu and Kashmir have also quit. These include GM Saroori, Haji Abdul Rashid, Muhammad Amin Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad Wani, and Choudhary Muhammad Akram.
 

When Congress is in difficulty; minorities, Dalits, press, people who speak of democracy being attacked, we’ve to fight BJP-RSS together. If you run away from battle, you’re betraying the party and running away in fear of atmosphere created by (PM Narendra) Modi ji: Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge

A man who has been treated by the greatest respect by the Congress leadership has betrayed it by his vicious personal attacks which reveals his true character. GNA`s DNA has been modi-fied: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh

We all saw Ghulam Nabi Azad and Modi ji’s closeness in the House. We all know who has the remote for writing this letter. It means that he is greedy for position: Congress leader Pawan Khera

Former Haryana chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda has termed Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation from all party positions, including its primary membership, as "unfortunate".

"It is unfortunate, that is what I can say," Hooda told PTI when asked about Azad's decision.

Hooda believes that a senior leader taking such a step is bound to impact the party organisation.

Reacting to Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation form the Congress, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said: "Ghulam Nabi Azad was on several posts over the last 42 years and no one expected such a letter from him." 

“Sonia is in US for check-up and you are releasing a letter – this is not good. Azad was sycophant himself during the time of Sanjay Gandhi," the Rajasthan CM said.

As Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation created a political firestorm, former Congress leader Ashwani Kumar said: “Theoretical introspection is over, Congress needs to do something different. The party must restore its credibility first before being the moral centre for the nation."

Congress MP Manickam Tagore described Azad's resignation as "unfortunate" while backing Rahul Gandhi.

“Rahul ji is going to start a historic padyatra for "Bharat jodo". How can he blame Rahul Gandhi? He was president for only two years from 2017-2019. He (Azad) was minister for many years in Congress. He was the part of every decision so blaming Rahul Gandhi is completely wrong,"  Manickam Tagore said.

Former Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill who resigned from the Congress earlier said the party is "not in sync with the ground reality anymore".

"It pains me to say that decision-making is no longer for the interest of the public and the country. Rather, it is influenced by the self-serving interests of individuals indulging in sycophancy and consistently ignoring on ground reality,"  Shergill said in a letter.

Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress; attacks Rahul Gandhi for 'childish behaviour'

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from the party on Friday while criticising Rahul Gandhi in a scathing letter sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"Unfortunately after the entry of Rahul Gandhi into politics and particularly after January 2013 when he was appointed vice president by you, the entire consultative mechanism which existed earlier was demolished by him," the Congress leader said as he attacked Rahul Gandhi.

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