Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad lashed out at the party in public meeting held on Sunday for attempting to defame him and his supporters who left the party.
Azad said, “Congress was made by us by our blood, not by computers, not by Twitter. People are trying to defame us but their reach is limited to computers and tweets. That is the reason Congress is nowhere to be seen on the ground.”
Addressing the public at Sainik Colony in Jammu, Azad announced he will launch his own political party that will focus on restoration of full statehood.
Azad said he has not decided the name of the party yet and that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will decide the name and flag of the party he will launch.
He said he will assign an Indian name so that everyone is able to understand.
The party will focus on restoration of full statehood along with right to land and employment to native domicile, Azad added.
Notably, this was his first public meeting, after exiting from Congress in Jammu.
The former Congress leader had served as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2005-08. He also served as Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
Following Azad’s signal to launch a new party, several leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have resigned from Congress.
On August 26, senior leader Azad resigned from Congress with sharp jabs at the Gandhi family and the organisational leadership.
In a letter addressed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Azad cited the sidelining of senior leaders and the increasing sway of a "coterie of inexperienced sycophants" as the reasons behind his exit from the party.
