While Jammu and Kashmir-based Congress leaders are hesitant to come on record to give their reactions to the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Conference leadership was quick to react to unfolding political developments in the grand-old party.

National Conference president and former Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah observed that Azad was not getting due respect and honour in the party that he was getting earlier.

"Must not be getting respect, love showered upon him earlier. Congress was taken aback when 23 leaders wrote the letter. But it's happened before, Congress came back stronger. The country needs a strong opposition," said National Conference chief, Farooq Abdullah on the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah
National Conference (NC) leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah at Parliament, in New Delhi on June 25, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

Joining the issue, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah described Ghulam Nabi Azad's decision to quit the Congress as a body blow to the party.

"It is sad and scary" to see the grand old party implode", Omar Abdullah said.

"Long rumoured to be in the offing but a body blow to the Congress none the less. Perhaps the senior most leader to quit the party in recent times, his resignation letter makes for very painful reading. It's sad, and quite scary, to see the grand old party of India implode", Omar tweeted.

Earlier Azad resigned as J&K Congress campaign committee chairman

Within hours after his appointment as the chairmanship of the J&K Congress Campaign Committee, Ghulam Nabi Azad had resigned from the post on August 16. Azad is enraged over the way the Congress high command has mistreated him despite his services to the party for around four decades.

"Azad was not taken into confidence by the party high command while constituting the Committees and his reaction is all set to be followed by the resignation of the majority of his loyalists in Jammu Kashmir Congress," reports said.

Ghulam Nabi Azad resigns

Azad was annoyed over the way the Congress high command did not give an ear to his suggestions for strengthening the party at the grass root level.

Azad had organized meeting of G-23 leaders at Jammu

Ghulam Nabi Azad had organized a meeting of G-23 leaders at Jammu on February 27, 2021, under the banner of the Gandhi Global Family.

Apart from Azad, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Hooda, and Raj Babbar had attended the event. The platform of this function was utilized to project Azad as leader of the G-23. All leaders of G-23 had lauded Azad but regretted that Congress leadership had not re-nominated him to the Rajya Sabha.