Gulam Nabi Azad is the new political focal point. Branded now a rebel within his party, the staunch Congress leader since Indira Gandhi days, is now an unwanted man by his party for his G23 venture, a rebel faction against the present leadership. Azad is one of the soberest faces of Congress, unlike most of the leaders within the group. As a true nationalist Muslim, one-time Chief Minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, even the Hindu nationalist party also never questioned his integrity and secular approach. That has brought immense respect to this Kashmiri Muslim leader
across the country. His elevation to national politics was rapid. A Congress block committee president in 1973 became All India President of All India Youth Congress seven years later. The last ministerial post he held was Union Health Minister in the second Manmohan Singh Cabinet. While being Union Health Minister, he had made a controversial statement once on the reason for India’s rising population rate. He attributed this rising population concern to the lack of electricity and TV connectivity in rural India. He also had proposed marriage age between 25 and 30. In the middle of February this year, he hanged up his boots as opposition leader at the Rajya Sabha.
