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Ghulam Nabi Azad Denies BJP Allegations, Calls for Soul-Searching by Critics

Kalyani Jha
10 Mar, 2024

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad has responded to accusations labeling his party as the "B team" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir dismissed these claims, asserting that he has never sought the assistance of the BJP. Azad's remarks come amidst ongoing political developments in the Valley, where the two main parties in the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently.

Addressing the allegations, Azad stated, "Those who call us the B team have also been ministers and chief ministers in the BJP's A team. Ghulam Nabi Azad has neither been a minister nor a chief minister with the help of BJP." He questioned whether these parties that criticize him consider themselves the "A team" or the "Super A team" for their affiliations with the BJP.

Azad's decision to leave the Congress in 2022 and establish his own political outfit, the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), has drawn criticism from regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir, who have accused him of collaborating with the BJP. The perceived closeness between Azad and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighted by Modi's praise for Azad in the Rajya Sabha, has further fueled speculation and criticism.

In response, Azad urged the regional parties of Jammu and Kashmir to engage in introspection and examine his parliamentary record, emphasizing his vocal opposition to the BJP.

Regarding the recent visit by Election Commission officials, Azad commented on the eagerly anticipated Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He noted that while the elections are expected to take place after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the visit by ECI officials was deemed "routine." Expressing the urgent need for Assembly polls in the region, Azad underscored the anticipation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and emphasized the importance of conducting elections promptly after the parliamentary elections.

With his firm denial of the BJP allegations and his call for self-reflection by his critics, Ghulam Nabi Azad continues to navigate the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, advocating for the interests of his party and the people of the region.