Congress needs to set Jammu and Kashmir house in order

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi may stress on discipline among the party cadre, but in Jammu and Kashmir, no one seems to be paying heed.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi may stress on discipline among the party cadre, but in Jammu and Kashmir, no one seems to be paying heed. Divisions within the party came to the fore during a visit by Cong in-charge for J&K Ambika Soni, with a brawl breaking out between two senior leaders at the Srinagar International Airport.

While the state grapples with allegations of the army intelligence unit funding a minister associated with the Cong to topple the Omar Abdullah govt, the sensitive issue didn’t stop the Congress leaders from gunning for each other.

The Cong workers appear divided between owing allegiance to state president Saif-ud-Din Soz and ex-CM Ghulam Nabi Azad. But the incident where Taj Mohi-ud-din, allegedly slapped and abused senior vice-president Ghulam Nabi Monga, has raised serious questions about discipline within the party. The incident took place when party leaders gathered to welcome Azad and Soni who had come to gather feedback from cadre on seat division for the upcoming Assembly polls.

Taj and Monga hail from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. While Taj, who is close to Azad, represents Uri constituency, Monga is a member of the upper House in the state legislature.  Monga said Taj was upset about “losing ground in his constituency”.

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