Bihar Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed slams Azad's resignation, calls it 'pre planned'

Former Minister of State for Home Affairs Shakeel Ahmed, in conversation with ETV Bharat on Sunday, claimed that Ghulam Nabi Azad's decision to quit Congress was pre-planned, adding that his accusations against Rahul Gandhi and claims of being sidelined were nothing but excuses.

Patna: Amid speculations rife regarding the next move of erstwhile Congress leader and former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently quit the party, former Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shakeel Ahmed and senior Congress leader, said on Sunday that Azad's move was pre-planned. "People keep resigning because of anger, due to disputes, etc.

However, leaving the party and within an hour saying he is going to float another party indicates that the move was pre-planned. The accusations against Rahul Gandhi and anyone else is nothing but an excuse aimed at exiting Congress," Ahmed said.

Taking to task Azad's criticism of Rahul Gandhi tearing up an ordinance in the Parliament back in 2013, the former minister said he was unable to comprehend why the veteran leader remained in the company of those involved in this incident of 'wrongdoing'.

"He said the ordinance-tearing was a terrible step. I cannot understand why he remained in the company of such people, initially as a minister, and subsequently as the Leader of the Opposition after Congress lost power. From 2013, he kept aiding these 'wrongdoings', and when finally he was no longer a Rajya Sabha member, then he says the step was wrong," Ahmed said.

Inquired about Azad's statement in the document claiming Congress could no longer rise from the situation it was currently in, Ahmed refused to count it as a serious observation. "Situation in politics keeps changing. The BJP, who at one point had two seats in the entire country, is in power today.

Congress has government in two states, and in two more it is in power via an alliance with other parties. Apart from this, there are 10 to 12 more states where the competition between BJP and Congress is really close. Nothing stays the same. If you stick around during good times but abandon during peril, people do not appreciate the gesture," he stated.

Noting that the country needed a strengthened version of the grand old party at the moment owing to challenges such as inflation, unemployment, and other economic woes, Ahmed said Congress was already out in the streets, taking up wrong policies of the Modi government to the common man.