New Delhi: A war of words broke out on Tuesday between the Congress and Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Azad Party (DAP) over whether the Bharat Jodo Yatra had succeeded in uniting the people of the country or not. “The country was not broken but controversial statements like the one made by Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, who sought proof for the 2019 surgical strikes on terrorist camps across the border, did damage the nation," DAP leader Salman Nizami told ETV Bharat.
He also claimed that the DAP was strong in Jammu and Kashmir as against the Congress that, he claimed, had weakened in the UT. “The Congress is attacking us but if we were not strong here how could Azad address 100 rallies over the past months in all the regions of the UT,” said Nizami. “The DAP is protesting against the land eviction order in every district. The Congress has no presence here and hence it is seeking help from NC’s Farooq Abdullah and PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti,” he said.
J&K Congress Working President Raman Bhalla countered Nizami saying the DAP leader was "frustrated" as the party formed by Ghulam Nabi Azad had been marginalised in the UT. “They have become frustrated as most of their leaders have joined. There is no crowd in DAP rallies. In comparison, the Bharat Jodo Yatra is attracting crowds in the UT. We are listening to the people and they are supporting us as we are raising their issues,” Bhalla told ETV Bharat.
“The yatra has brought India together, the yatra has shown that Indian people believe much more in love and affection than in hatred and anger,” he said. The DAP leader was riled by Rahul Gandhi’s remark that Ghulam Nabi Azad had been isolated as 90 percent of the leaders of his party had joined the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir. Azad had left the Congress in August 2022 and floated DAP in October, taking away a large chunk of the grand old party’s local leaders.
Recently, before Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra reached UT J&K, the Congress claimed to have carried out a surgical strike on DAP and inducted several senior leaders of the DAP, in a message to Azad. “The people in Azadji’s party are sitting on our stage. 90 percent of them are already in the Congress. I think there is only Ghulam Nabi Azad Ji on that side. My respects to Ghulam Nabi Ji and my apologies for any hurt that we may have caused,” Rahul said when asked about the absence of DAP in the yatra.
Also read: Congress steps up attack on Azad ahead of Yatra reaching J&K, goes on a spree to induct DAP leaders
DAP leader Salman Nizami questioned the Congress claim. “Rahul Gandhi’s statement is immature. Some people like Jairam Ramesh, whom Azad had called computer boys, are misleading Rahul. Our general secretary RS Chhib had said that among those who joined the Congress, there were only 10 percent DAP office bearers. Rest 90 percent of names were fake as they had never joined us,” Nizami said.
“The two expelled DAP leaders Tara Chand and Peerzada Mohammad Syed have no constituency. Only Manohar Lal has a constituency but he has joined us back. No MLAs have gone back to the Congress,” he said. The DAP leader claimed that the regional party was still going strong in the state while the Congress had weakened in J&K. Citing the Congress rally in Lakhanpur, Kathua, Nizami said the Congress had to seek help from rebel Lal Singh who was asked to arrange the crowds but not allowed to share the stage with Rahul.
When Rahul was asked about the absence of Lal Singh on the stage, the former Congress chief said Singh had supported the yatra and he appreciated the sentiment of the leader. Rahul also apologised to Lal Singh for any inconvenience that he may have had during the rally. Responding to Nizami’s remark that the “yatra is a PR stunt” and that “the Congress has no face in J&K”, Bhalla said the locals had lined up the yatra route all along and that the foot march was unnerving the local politicians. “There is no dearth of leaders in our party and new faces have already taken up the charge,” said Bhalla referring to state unit chief Viqar Rasool.
Though the DAP leader claimed that the Congress had no stand on the removal of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special rights to the erstwhile state of J&K, Rahul clarified by stating that an earlier CWC resolution that had questioned the undemocratic manner in which the bill removing the Article 370 was passed in Parliament in 2019, reflected the party’s position over the key issue.
“The Congress position is very clear. You can read the CWC resolution,” Rahul replied to a query. The former Congress chief also slammed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for noting that the yatra was defaming the country as there was hatred among people. “The yatra has united the people. I don’t agree with Rajnath Singh’s view but I understand that those were not his views but came from the top,” said Rahul.
