Kulgam, May 12: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said he was the only one to speak on Article 370 after its abrogation while none of another party (without naming it) which had three Members of Parliament (MPs) spoke on the issue.
Azad made these remarks while addressing the media in the Devsar area in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, where the party organised a roadshow. He also addressed gatherings at several locations in the district.
When asked about the current political scenario at the national level and the inevitability of change, Azad said, “I have been part of the central political system for over 40-45 years, but this time, politics is more uncertain and complicated than ever before. No political party, whether national or regional, is discussing common issues such as inflation, unemployment, or the state of hospitals, doctors, and schools. Everyone is focused on forming a government, but they should be discussing the basis for doing so and for whom. None of the parties are addressing these concerns.”
Azad said that this type of politics isn’t conducive. He observed that religion is being placed at the forefront, whether by one community or another or by various political parties. They prioritise religious politics over development and the people’s issues, which receive considerably less attention.
“In the parliamentary elections in J&K, not much will change, but there will certainly be a change in the assembly elections. Change will come after the Assembly elections, and what falls under the jurisdiction of the assembly will surely bring about a change. In parliamentary elections, if anyone in J&K claims they will do this or that, none will accomplish anything,” the DPDP chief remarked in response to a question about any potential change in J&K during the parliamentary elections.
He said that DPAP is a small regional party and does not have much at the national level. He said that parties not in power have one weapon: making the most of every opportunity in Parliament.
“The candidates shouldn’t sleep in Parliament; they should remain awake, and I have examples to support this. The biggest issue we have in J&K today is Article 370, statehood gone, and Article 35A scrapped. I was alone in raising these issues; the other parties had three Members of Parliament (MPs), but they remained silent, which shows that either they had no interest or were asleep,” he said.
The former chief minister said that DPAP believes in sending a candidate to Parliament who will speak like him. He said that when the candidate enters Parliament, they should keep their hearts and minds open and address the issues concerning the nation and the people of J&K.
In response to allegations that DPAP is BJP’s ‘C team’, Azad questioned whether those who have been part of the BJP’s ‘A team’ are qualified to accuse any other party of being aligned with the BJP. He pointed out that one individual had served as a minister in the BJP government at the Centre, while the other party had seen two chief ministers due to the BJP’s support. Azad questioned whether they are qualified to label any other party as the ‘C team’ of the BJP.
“We have neither been their MLA nor their MP. We have been in the opposition role and have done the most opposition during the BJP rule,” Azad added.
