Ghulam Nabi Azad called himself a '24 carat' Congressman

Ground Report | New Delhi: Ghulam Nabi Azad Congressman; Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has described himself as a 24-carat Congressman in his recent statements. Targeting the opposition parties, he said that 'I am a 24-carat Congressman, 18-carat people are now questioning 24 carats'.

Responding to the question, Azad said, 'I am a Congressman, whoever said that I am not a Congressman. Maybe they are asking questions of 14 carats by turning 18 carats. Notably, Ghulam Nabi Azad has been a part of the G23 group, which openly revolted against the Congress leadership demanding reforms.

The senior Congress leader took a dig at the opposition parties, especially the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party, and demanded talks with Pakistan, saying it is the Indian government that has to decide on talks with Pakistan. But the talks stopped and later resumed after the situation improved in the past as well.

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Azad also took a dig at the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, saying that the autocratic rule of Maharaja Hari Singh is far better than the present government. He also attacked the Jammu and Kashmir administrations for stopping the traditional practice of the biennial 'Darbar Move'.

Under the Durbar Move, the civil secretariat and other move offices functioned for six months of summer in Srinagar and the remaining six months of the year in Jammu. This system was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872.

Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday reiterated the demand for restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the assembly elections in the Union Territory.

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"From day one, when the all-party meeting was held, we have demanded statehood and elections. The government had agreed to both. We had put a condition that elections would be held first and then delimitation would be done. It did not happen. We still wanted to. It is to be given statehood first and then elections,” the former CM said while talking to the media on the sidelines of an event in Udhampur. (Ghulam Nabi Azad Congressman)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reiterated that statehood will be restored in Jammu and Kashmir after delimitation of constituencies and assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission has proposed to increase the assembly constituencies from the present 43 seats to 49 and the Kashmir region from 46 to 47. It has also proposed to reserve 16 seats for STs and SCs in the Union Territory.

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