'Forced to leave my home': Ghulam Nabi Azad goes all out against Rahul Gandhi, praises PM Modi's 'humane side'

Days after quitting the Congress, veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said that he has been “forced to leave” his home, apparently referring to the party. 

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Azad 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.”

Heaping praises on Modi, Azad said: “I had understood Modi was a crude man as he is not married, does not have children but he has shown his humane side when he spoke in Parliament about the incident that happened with the Gujarati tourists when I was the Chief Minister.”

Azad was responding to the allegation levelled against him by the Congress leaders, who had said that “Azad has been Modi-fied” and will join the BJP". He said, "The party is full of illiterates, specially those who are working on clerical posts. Those who know J&K, I can’t increase one vote of BJP."

alleged that the leadership being projected in the party in states is making party members leave instead of uniting them.

He also said that he will not join the BJP as it will not help his politics in Jammu and Kashmir and that he would soon set up a new party there as assembly elections could be announced anytime.

"I can only give my best wishes to the Congress, but the Congress needs medicines more than my wishes. And, these medicines are being provided to the Congress by compounders instead of doctors and there is a need for specialists," he told reporters.

"The party leadership has no time for setting things right in the party. The Congress is giving such leaders in states and promoting those who are making people quit the organisation rather than uniting them with the party," Azad also said while attacking the party leadership.

Continuing his attack on Rahul Gandhi, he said, "It seems he does not have the aptitude for politics, as we tried to make him into a leader and made many efforts in this regard".

Azad also questioned the DNA of those who questioned him and accused those leaders in the Congress of conspiring and "planting news" against party leaders and thus weakening the organisation.

Hitting back, the Congress accused Azad of indulging in "treachery" and said he was "diminishing himself" further.

"After such a long career, courtesy entirely the party he's been tasked to slander, by giving interviews indiscriminately, Mr Azad diminishes himself further. What's he afraid of that he's justifying his treachery every minute? He can be easily exposed but why stoop to his level," Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter.