Azad heaps praise on PM Modi, says Congress has 'no influence over people'

Azad, who resigned from Congress last year hitting out at the Congress leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi, continued with his tirade against the party and said its current leadership "has no influence over people".

New Delhi: Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday showered praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a statesman who never took any revenge despite Azad questioning him on issues including Article 370, Citizenship Amendment Act or Hijab row.

"I must give credit to Modi. For what I did to him, he was too generous. As Leader of the Opposition I did not spare him on any issue be it Article 370 or CAA or hijab. I got some Bills totally failed but I must give him the credit that he behaved like a statesman, not taking revenge for that," Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief said in an interview with ANI.

Azad, who resigned from Congress last year hitting out at the Congress leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi, continued with his tirade against the party and said its current leadership "has no influence over people". "Nehru ji, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi could bear the shock, they had endurance, they had public support and respect and with their work over a period of time, they could rebound. Current Congress leadership has no influence over people," Azad said.

The former J&K Chief Minister said he had no differences with the Congress party or is ideology but he did not want to expose the leadership and "demolish Congress". "I don’t want to expose and totally demolish Congress. I may have some differences with leadership, but I have no differences with Congress party or Congress ideology. I have no difference of opinion with Congress ideology or earlier Congress leadership. Of course here and there in my book, I mentioned what went wrong during Nehru ji's time, Indira ji's time, Rajiv ji's time but I also said they were tall leaders," Azad said.

On the allegation that he and G23 are close to BJP, Azad said: "That is stupid. If G23 was the spokesperson of the BJP, why they are made MPs by Congress? Why have they made them MPs, general secretaries and office bearers? I’m the only one who formed the party. The rest of the people are still there. It is ill-conceived, immature and childish allegation."