My respect for Rahul Gandhi is the same as that befitting Indira Gandhi's family: Azad

New Delhi: Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who quit the party last week, said that his respect for Rahul Gandhi is the same as that befitting Indira Gandhi's family.

Speaking with ANI, Azad said, "My respect for Sonia Gandhi is the same as 30 years back, respect for Rahul Gandhi is the same as that befitting Indira Gandhi's family, Rajiv-Sonia Gandhi's son. Personally, I pray for his long life. We tried to make him a successful leader but he's not interested. I do not have any personal issue with the Gandhi family, but there are issues with the present regime of the party." Speaking to media persons in the national capital, Azad said, "I have been forced to leave my home."
Taking a dig at the Congress over his resignation, he said, "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," added Azad.
On being asked about his resignation, he said, "I didn't sleep for six days before and after writing the letter (G23) because we gave blood for the party. People there today are useless...It's saddening that Congress has such spokesmen who do not even know about us..."
Azad on Friday resigned from all posts of the party, citing the "immaturity" of Rahul Gandhi, whom he blamed for "demolishing the consultative mechanism" in the party.

In a hard-hitting 5-page note to party interim president Sonia Gandhi, Azad claimed that a coterie runs the party while she was just a nominal head and all the major decisions were taken by "Shri Rahul Gandhi or rather worse his security guards and PAs".
The development comes days after Azad resigned from the organisational post of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, hitting out at Azad, Congress General Secretary Tariq Anwar said, "Azad's statements depict that he was not heard. I believe that he could have directly talked to the party president or Rahul Gandhi, considering the post he had in Congress. The way he left the party, accusing the leadership, does not suit him."

"Accusing the party, the leader, the leadership, or the family which made him Ghulam Nabi Azad, is unpleasant. If he had any complaints, he could have resigned and sat at home... this incident shows that he had this intention from long ago and was awaiting the right time," Anwar further said.
Earlier, lashing out at Rahul Gandhi, Azad wrote to Sonia in his resignation, "Since the 2019 elections the situation in the party has only worsened. After Rahul Gandhi stepped down in a 'huff' and not before insulting all the senior party functionaries who have given their lives to the party in a meeting of the extended Working Committee, you took over as interim President. A position that you have continued to hold even today for the past three years."

Several political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday met Azad, who is planning to launch a new national party, after tendering resignation from all posts of the Congress.
The decision to launch a new national party came just hours after the veteran Congress leader in a letter to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi resigned from all positions of the Congress party including the primary membership. (ANI)