New Delhi: In his fresh salvo against the party, ex-Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who quit the Congress with a scathing critique of the Gandhis, has once again launched an attack saying, "They (Congress) fired missiles on me, I only retaliated with a 303 rifle & they were destroyed. What would have happened had I used a ballistic missile?" he said while addressing a public rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah.
Earlier, Ghulam Nabi had expressed a lot of displeasure about the party in his resignation. He also attacked Rahul Gandhi and said that he takes every decision of the party without consulting anyone. Azad alleged that senior leaders in the party were being insulted. After the resignation of Ghulam Nabi, many workers, including 8 former ministers, and a former chief minister, resigned from the party.
Azad’s resignation has turned the relationship bitter between him and his former party as the Congress has been alleging that his “DNA has been Modi-fied” after he resigned from the party.
Reacting to the allegation, the 73-year-old politician hit back at the party saying meeting and talking to political rivals does not change one's DNA.
On August 26, Azad announced his resignation from all party positions, blaming Rahul Gandhi's "immaturity" for "demolish[ing] the consultative mechanism" inside the party.
Azad said that a circle controls the party and that Sonia Gandhi, the party's interim president, is only a ceremonial leader who defers to "Shri Rahul Gandhi or, worse, his security guards and PAs" for all critical decisions.
"I have been compelled to leave my home on my own," Azad remarked earlier when speaking to journalists in the nation's capital.
Slamming Congress over his resignation, he stated: “Modi is an excuse, they have had an issue with me since the G23 letter was written. They never wanted anyone to write to them, question them.”
“Several (Congress) meetings happened, but not even a single suggestion was taken,” he added.
After founding a new party, Azad was asked if he would join the BJP if necessary. He said: "Congress mein anpadhon (illiterate) ki jamaat hai, especially those sitting for clerical work…Those who know Jammu and Kashmir, I can’t increase even one vote in BJP’s constituencies, they can’t do it in mine.”