New Delhi: When Ghulam Nabi Azad founded the Democratic Azad Party (DAP) on 26 September, a month after quitting the Congress, he declared that it would “not be autocratic” and wouldn’t be influenced by “any outside leader or other party”. Three months since then, the DAP is imploding and those quitting are accusing Azad of violating the very principles on which he founded the party.
Nearly 120 party workers resigned Saturday, after Azad expelled former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, former minister Manohar Lal and former MLA Balwan Singh for ‘anti-party’ activities Thursday.
The group of dissidents and expelled leaders expects more people to join them and leave the Democratic Azad Party, ThePrint has learnt.
While Tara Chand was the party vice-chairman, the others were general secretaries. “I was on a tour of my constituency. When I returned in the evening, I was informed by the media (about the expulsion). I didn’t know what happened. We were working in the field in good faith,” he told ThePrint.
Soon after their expulsions, Azad had indicated that the expelled leaders were not giving space to others in the party. “They were scared that if someone else comes then we won’t get the space. So I started sweeping. Those who think that there will be no one except them, we don’t need them,” he said Friday.
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Why were they expelled?
The primary reasons for their expulsion, Chand claimed, is that “there are few people who revolve around the leader and misguide him. Azad sahab was influenced by two-three people”. Sources close to Tara Chand told ThePrint that these leaders include DAP vice-chairman G. M. Saroori and party chief spokesperson Salman Nizami.
Saroori denied these charges, saying that the expulsions followed a set procedure. “Azad sahab who has made so many CMs, MPs, worked with so many PMs, will he be influenced by us? There was a complete discussion in the working committee plus other places, then the decision was taken. Who am I to tell Azad sahab?” he told ThePrint
Tara Chand as well as other former DAP members claimed that Azad has become “autocratic” ever since he formed his party and was “not ready to listen to people”.
“After he came back from Delhi, he stopped listening to people,” Chand said. “All of his (Azad’s) programmes have happened in erstwhile Doda district and a few areas of Kashmir but none in Jammu, Kathua or Samba. Because of which people are also angry. They are ignoring Jammu to give advantage to a particular organisation.”
As Jammu is a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party, DAP has often faced allegations of being the “B-team” of the BJP even as Azad in an interview with ThePrint earlier dismissed these allegations, saying that he was “independent”.
Tara Chand himself fired the latest salvo Saturday at Azad. “Those who want to join the BJP, should directly join it. There are people dividing the secular vote bank and entangling the people,” the Jammu-based politician said.
Saroori, however, claimed that the party has purposely focussed on Chenab region and Kashmir because in winter it is difficult to do programmes there. “Now the programmes will start in Jammu. Jammu is a warmer place. Chenab and Kashmir are colder areas. In winters, fewer programmes will happen in these areas and more will happen in Jammu,” the DAP vice-chairman told ThePrint.
Working for Congress?
The DAP claimed that the troika of ousted leaders were in direct contact with senior Congress leaders and were ”working on their directions”
DAP’s Jammu provincial president Jugal Kishore Sharma alleged that the expelled leaders were in touch with Jammu & Kashmir Congress chief Vikar Rasool, ex-state chief G.A. Mir and AICC in-charge J&K Rajni Patil.
“We got to know that a few days back they had a meeting with Rajni madam. When they were called for party meetings, they did not turn up. We think they wanted to become office bearers and leave the party,” Kishore told a press conference Saturday. “Those who left used to say that Azad sahab should go back to the (Congress) party. We also got information that they were getting other people ready to go back to the party. We were forced to tell Azad sahab that either they or we can stay in the party.”
“Why were they working on the directions of the J&K Congress president for these 2-3 months? If they are planning to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra, this shows that their mind was pre-determined to leave the party,” DAP general secretary R.S. Chib told the media Saturday.
While all three expelled leaders have denied allegations of being in touch with the Congress, Tara Chand has claimed that his resignation from the Congress in support of Azad was a “blunder”.
“The Congress made me CLP leader, speaker and deputy chief minister. But when I left the party, I betrayed the party and I regret it. However, here we have not betrayed the party (DAP) but we have been betrayed,” he told a press conference Saturday held along with Manohar Lal and Balwan Sharma.
To a question on their next step, Manohar Lal had said that they would stand with “secular forces” to keep raising the voices of the people.
But Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma told ThePrint that the party would not straight away give entry to the three expelled leaders but added that the “doors are open for secular forces”.
“(J&K Congress) president has already said that doors are open for all secular-minded people. Decisions will be taken once they come forward,” Sharma said. “After all, whatever they have achieved is because of the Congress. They have seen that there is no better alternative than the Congress.”
On his part, Chand told ThePrint that everyone will sit together and decide on the next step in the next few days. He also indicated that he along with others might join the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is expected to reach Jammu & Kashmir in end of January.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal announced Tuesday that Kashmir leaders Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and M.Y. Tarigami were expected to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“Bharat Jodo Yatra is beyond the party. Anyone with the right intentions can join it, across party lines,” Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said.
For now, the DAP is seemingly given the impression of being unperturbed by the series of exits that have hit the party. “Hamari party aage badhti jaa rahi hai. (Our party is still marching forward) There is a new josh (fervour) in Kashmir towards Azad sahab. There was a revolution, where thousands of people attended his programme in this cold winter,” DAP vice-chairman G. M. Saroori told ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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