Ghulam Nabi Azad launches "Democratic Azad Party" to protect rights of J&K residents [details]

Flanked by his supporters Azad formally launched his party and announced that his party would pursue an independent agenda to fulfill the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ending the month-long suspense, former Congress leader and ex-Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday launched a new political party under the name "Democratic Azad Party" in Jammu. He also unveiled the flag of the new party.

Flanked by former Deputy Chief Minister and a prominent Dalit leader of Jammu and Kashmir, Tara Chand, and ex-minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, former leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad launched the new party today.

"Agenda of the party is guided by the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Azad said and announced that programmes and policies of the new party are formulated by incorporating the ambitions of the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

While unveiling the flag of his party, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "mustard colour indicates creativity and unity in diversity, white indicates peace and blue indicates freedom, open space, imagination and limits from the depths of the ocean to the heights of the sky".

"My wellwishers from across the country have suggested over 1000 names for the new party and our leaders and supporters reached a consensus on the name of the Democratic Azad Party", he said.

Azad quits Cong on August 26

Ghulam Nabi Azad, 73, has snapped his 50-year-long relations with Congress Party on August 26, terming the party "comprehensively destroyed". He also lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for "demolishing" the party's entire consultative mechanism.

Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad quits party

Over two dozen prominent Congress leaders including former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, and several former Ministers/legislators including Peerzada Mohd Sayed, Taj Mohiuddin, G M Saroori, R S Chib, Jugal Kishore, Abdul Majid Wani, Balwan Singh, Abdul Rashid Dar, Dr Manohar Lal, Mohd Amin Bhat and others also resigned from the Congress in support of Azad. Two former legislators, one each of the PDP and Apni Party, also followed the suit.

Some more prominent people from the Congress and Apni Party in J&K are likely to join Azad's party within one week of the launch of the new party, the sources added.

Azad had already declared that the top agendas of his party will be to restore Statehood to J&K and protect the land and job rights of the locals.