The infighting between Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee is in the news after it broke down into two factions—Azad’s Loyalists and Mir’s Loyalists. However, these congress leaders in any official statement don’t agree on the fact that infighting between Congress in J&K has created division inside the party.
After JKPCC new chief Vikar Rasool Wani issued a “show cause” notice to Azad loyalist and Congress leader Randeep Bhandari on Sunday, after Bhandari criticised Wani for standing with anti-Azad leaders in the Congress party, Bhandari confirmed the comments to The Chenab Times over a phone call. He also said that he is standing with his leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad.
After the “show cause” notice, Bhandari responded in a letter—a copy of which lies with The Chenab Times—and said, “Putting my faith in your sense of justice and a belief that innocence on my part will be finally established, I want to put forth the following arguments in my defence. I have always lived by the principles that the Congress party stands for and have shown the utmost respect for the noble values it endorses. My father, the late Jugal Bhandari, has served the Congress party for more than three decades, and I have inherited his legacy, his devotion to the party and his adherence to rules. Many a time have I raised concerns about leaders sharing the stage with those who burnt the effigy of Ghulam Nabi Azad sa’ab and tried to harm his reputation. Despite the fact that criticism is an essential ingredient for maintaining intra-party democracy, unbridled and excessive use of it harms party discipline, especially when used for a personal attack. “
Bhandari further said, “In most of the cases where I have been alleged to have gone against the party lines, I was merely exposing the elements in the party who disrespected my leader, and I will keep doing so in future as well. Never ever have I used my social media against the party, but against divisive anti-party elements. As you are aware of the fact that Azad sa’ab is one of the strongest pillars of the party and has helped this party grow, flourish and win elections. He always worked for the betterment of the state—both during his tenure as CM of the state and his stint in parliament. You too were a staunch supporter of Azad sa’ab and before your term as party president, you too supported him and appreciated his contribution towards the Congress party, which cannot be downsized. A leader of such a tall stature ought not be demeaned, nor should his image be tarnished unnecessarily. It really hurts when such things happen. Being a sincere believer in his work, I stood by him, and that doesn’t amount to anti-party activity by any stretch of imagination.”
“I hereby rest my case and leave it to your judgement,” the letter reads.
Sources told The Chenab Times that many Congress party leaders in Jammu and Kashmir were not agreed on the appointment of Wani as JKPCC chief and the disagreement resulted in the mass resignation of the Congress leaders.
A senior party official told Hindustan Times on August 18, “Azad was taken on board in the appointment of new president and other heads of the committees and now that he has declined it suggests somewhere something has gone wrong.”
According to News Insider 24×7, the Mir group wrote to the party high command that they don’t agree with the selection of Wani, when Congress party in the first week of July deferred the decision to name a new JKPCC president. The News Insider 24×7 reported on July 8 that GM Saroori group leaders were also not happy with the selection.
But Wani was seen meeting numerous Congress politicians from the Mir faction after being named as the JKPCC chief. Following the appointment of Wani, Ghulam Nabi Azad and his supporters submitted their resignations from the appointment and some leaders even resigned from the party. The resignations, according to the various political pundits, were an indirect protest against the appointment, while Azad cited health issues as the reason for leaving the campaign committee. Abdul Rashid Dar, a former Sopore legislator who served two terms in office, announced his resignation from the party’s basic membership. “We made recommendations to the party high command, but these were completely ignored. So, it’s better to leave the party,” he said.
Dar isn’t alone. According to party insider sources, the decision has offended at least six more leaders. “Leaders have resigned before, not for the first time. Ghulam Nabi Monga, a former lawmaker and vice president, expressed his expectation that party leadership would appease the leaders who were dissatisfied or had threatened to resign.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
