After summoning five prominent leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the party in an effort to broker a truce among warring factions, the Congress high command on Friday announced a three-member panel to look into the ongoing infighting within the party.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has constituted a three-member enquiry committee to investigate reported cases of indiscipline and anti-party activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a press release issued by AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal on June 12, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the formation of the committee with immediate effect.
The panel comprises Shaktisinh Gohil as convener, Dr Amar Singh as member, and Rafeek Khan as member.
The three-member panel has been assigned the job to investigate complaints and reports of alleged indiscipline and activities deemed detrimental to the party's interests in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress Leaders Earlier Summoned to New Delhi
As reported earlier, five prominent Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir were summoned to New Delhi on June 9 by the party high command for a crucial meeting aimed at enforcing a "ceasefire" among rival factions.
The leaders were called for discussions as infighting within the J&K Congress unit had taken an ugly turn, with senior leaders publicly attacking one another.
Those summoned included AICC General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hamid Karra, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla, former JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani, and former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand.
The two-hour-long meeting concluded with a stern warning to all J&K Congress leaders to maintain party discipline at all costs.
As reported earlier, the Congress high command had taken serious note of recent statements made by some senior leaders, particularly former J&K Congress president and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Vikar Rasool Wani, who has been openly critical of incumbent J&K Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra.
Sources said all leaders were warned against crossing the line and engaging in indiscipline. The high command directed them to raise their concerns through internal party forums rather than airing differences in public.
Wani's Attack on Karra
While addressing a public rally in Khour, Jammu, on May 22, Vikar Rasool Wani launched a blistering attack on Tariq Hamid Karra and accused him of pursuing a separatist agenda. He referred to Karra's past proposal to introduce Pakistani currency alongside Indian currency in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir during the PDP-Congress coalition government.
A faction led by Wani and former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand has since launched an aggressive campaign against Karra, further deepening divisions within the party.
Dissidents Wrote to Kharge
Recently, dissident leaders wrote to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, seeking his immediate intervention in what they described as a deepening organisational crisis in the Union Territory.
In their letter to the party leadership, the dissidents expressed concern over the prevailing condition of the organisation and alleged that growing resentment among party workers had translated into public protests against the J&K leadership.
In the anonymous letter, the leaders claimed that factionalism and organisational weaknesses had increased after the Assembly elections. They alleged that certain decisions and strategies adopted during the electoral process adversely affected the prospects of several influential Congress candidates, causing long-term damage to the party's morale and organisational structure.
Despite Dissent, Wani Continues to Enjoy High Command's Confidence
Interestingly, dissident leader Vikar Rasool Wani, who has been spearheading a campaign against Tariq Hamid Karra, continues to enjoy the confidence of the Congress high command.
On March 17, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal appointed Wani as an AICC observer for the party's Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan in Delhi, signalling continued faith in the former JKPCC president.
A former minister and ex-JKPCC chief, Wani has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the current J&K Congress leadership. Sources indicate that he has been actively mobilising party leaders and workers against the incumbent leadership.
His removal as JKPCC president in August 2024, shortly after the announcement of Assembly elections, marked a turning point in the party's internal dynamics, with Karra taking over the reins.
Following his ouster, Wani launched a sharp campaign against Karra. However, instead of sidelining him, the Congress high command has continued to entrust him with key organisational responsibilities. Once considered a close associate of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Wani has since been appointed to the Congress Working Committee and assigned multiple observer roles within the party.
