New Delhi: In a major blow to Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, seventeen former party leaders returned to the Congress on Friday and were welcomed by the party, which said they were “on a two-month leave”. . Those who quit the DAP include former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and former PCC chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed.
Welcoming the 17 DAP leaders into the party, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said it is a happy day for the party as they are returning home ahead of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which will enter J&K after two weeks. “Bharat Jodo Yatra has become a big movement in the country and that is why all these leaders have decided to come back to Congress,” he told reporters.
He said, “This is only the beginning and when the yatra is entering Jammu and Kashmir, all people with the ideology of the Congress and those who want a united India will join the party. I think they will be on leave for two months.” were gone.”
Asked whether any talks were on with DAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad to return to the Congress, Venugopal said he himself denied any such talks. Asked whether Azad has been invited to the yatra, he said, “Those who believe in the ideology of the Congress are welcome to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.”
“We have invited all like-minded parties to join the yatra,” he said. He said Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Sayeed would join the yatra and walk with Rahul Gandhi in Srinagar.
Party leader Jairam Ramesh said, ‘A total of 19 leaders were to join today, but 17 were able to come to Delhi and join today. This is the first phase and others will also join soon.
17 stalwarts of Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Party returned home today @INCIndia followed by a leave of absence of two months. great incentive for #BharatJodoYatra Which will enter Jammu and Kashmir in a fortnight. pic.twitter.com/agt54DQFK7
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 6, 2023
When asked about the reasons for leaving the Congress, Tara Chand said, “We got carried away by feelings and friendship and left the party in a hurry.” When asked why he joined again, he said, “We were not comfortable in DAP” because we have spent 50 years of our life in Congress and realized our mistake.
“Today we have tried to rectify our one wrong decision… Only the Congress party can give the right leadership to the country.”
~ Mr. Tara Chand pic.twitter.com/WLqLl1nwGW— Amrish Ranjan Pandey (@pandey_amrish) January 6, 2023
Peerzada said that there is a need to strengthen and unite all secular forces in Jammu and Kashmir, where militancy has increased instead of decreasing in the last eight years.