Jammu/Delhi,06-01-2023:At least 17 leaders, who had resigned from the basic membership of the Congress and had joined former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad led party, Friday re-joined the party in New Delhi. The leaders had resigned to support former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who later formed his own party—The Democratic Azad Party, which has now been renamed as Democratic Progressive Azad Party.
In a press conference held at New Delhi, the former deputy chief minister Tara Chand and former minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed were among the 17 leaders, who re-joined Congress today.
Former Deputy CM Shri Tara Chand, Ex Minister Shri Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Ex MLA Shri Balwan Singh and other leaders joined INC in presence of AICC GS(O) Shri @kcvenugopalmp , Smt. @rajanipatil_in , Shri @Jairam_Ramesh , Shri @vikar_rasool & others at AICC HQ, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/v8Kq93Nhmy
— J&K Congress (@INCJammuKashmir) January 6, 2023
The leaders include Tara Chand, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, Balwan Singh, Advocate Muzaffar Paray, Advocate Mohinder Bhardwaj, Bhushan Dogra, Virodh Sharma, Narendra Sharma, Naresh Sharma, Amresh Mangotra, Subhash Baghat, Santosh Manhas, Badrinath Sharma, Varun Mangotra, Anuradha Sharma and Vijay Sargotra.
MP Rajya Sabha and AICC General Secretary (Organization), K C Venugopal said the leaders have joined the party again.
He said these leaders and people from across the country including Jammu & Kashmir have also extended their support to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
He said that former Congress leaders have also observed that they should also extend their support to their own party and thus decided to join back.
Tara Chand while talking to reporters said that it is time for secular forces to join hands to defeat the ill designs on the ground.
“The secular-minded people should join hands to protect the country,” he said.
The J&K leaders joined back the Congress in the presence of senior party leaders Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, and Rajni Patil.
Jairam Ramesh, while briefing the media, said the 19 leaders who had left the party with Ghulam Nabi Azad had come back to the party fold ahead of the Bharat Jodo Yatra entering Jammu and Kashmir.
He said of the 19 leaders 17 are present at the press conference.
Welcoming the J&K leaders returning to the party fold, KC Venugopal said they were on leave for two months and as now their leave is over, so they have joined back in the service of the party and the nation.
Tara Chand on his part said it was an emotional decision in favour of Azad saheb that they left the party. “But as the emotions subsided, we realized that we did a wrong thing to leave our home and leaders and so we are returning,” he said.
Tara Chand and Peerzada offered an apology for their decision to leave the party as per media reports.
