Election Commission row must be taken up in Parliament: Azad

Srinagar, Sep 26: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said concerns being raised over the Election Commission should be discussed by opposition parties in Parliament, saying the issue was significant because questions over elections could affect how India is viewed internationally.
Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that recent elections were rigged, Azad said the opposition should meet, decide its course and raise the issue in Parliament.
“No, now the opposition should meet and decide in Parliament and raise their voice,” Azad said.
He said India had earlier commanded confidence internationally and recalled his own experience when he was part of the government.
We used to roam all over the world when the government was in power. So, we were proud to be an Indian,” he said.
Azad said allegations concerning the Election Commission had a wider significance because it could become difficult to convince people outside the country if questions continued to be raised about the electoral process.
“Even if we say it, people should believe it. That’s why it’s a big issue,” he said.
‎‎Asked to compare his tenure as Chief Minister with the present government, Azad declined to make a comparison, saying every government and ruler had its own way of functioning.
“I never compare it. Every ruler has his own way of working. Even in my time, there was an elected government. Even today, the government is elected by the people,” he said.
Azad said it should be left to the people to assess whether the earlier government functioned better than the present one.
“That decision should be made by the people,” he said.
He also said he could not objectively judge his own tenure because he had been directly involved in it.
“If I go into that discussion, then I cannot become a judge because I am involved in it,” Azad said, adding that an assessment should instead be made by someone who was not directly involved.
On his political plans after having formed the DPAP, Azad said there was no hurry and indicated that he continued to travel freely.
“Let’s see. No one has stopped me from going out. I go everywhere,” he said.
Azad said he had recently travelled to Karnataka to observe tourism there and had also visited Hazaribagh and Shalimar Garden, besides other places.
He said being outside government allowed a politician to observe things differently.
“When I go, I go as a tourist, as a common man, as a simple man. You get to see and understand a lot of things,” he said.
Referring to the debate over the powers of the Chief Minister and elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, Azad said the actual functioning of government was better understood when one was outside power.
“When you are in the government, then you don’t know a lot of things. But when you are out of the government, then the whole world looks at you,” he said.
Azad said he would assess the situation after completing his current travels and suggested that his political approach towards Jammu and Kashmir could take a different shape.
“When I complete this, then maybe you will bring a different mood to Jammu and Kashmir. Let’s see what happens. Now, there is no hurry,” he said.
He also said the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir was being observed closely and that being outside government provided a different perspective on developments in the region. (KNS)