Congress a sinking ship, Azad raised valid issues during exit: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said Ghulam Nabi Azad raised valid points while exiting the Congress which is a "sinking ship".

Azad has resigned from all positions in the Congress, including its primary membership, by describing former Congress president Rahul Gandhi as "immature" and "childish" and accusing the leadership of "foisting a non-serious individual" at the helm of the party.

Speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport, Fadnavis said the Congress was a sinking ship and people who think the ship cannot be salvaged were taking different decisions.

"I think some questions raised by Azad were valid. However, it is their internal matter and I will not comment on it," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

Azad, 73, who has been associated with the Congress for nearly five decades, also attacked party chief Sonia Gandhi for applying the "remote control model that demolished the institutional integrity of the UPA government" to the party.

Reacting to the Shiv Sena's decision to ally with Maratha outfit Sambhaji Brigade, the BJP leader said when the time comes for one's destruction or downfall, one fails to think wisely.

With Dussehra just around the corner, both factions of the Shiv Sena are likely to seek permission for the annual rally during the festival.

When asked if the rival groups led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray will be granted permission for the rally in Mumbai, Fadnavis, who handles the home department, said, "Whichever event is as per rules and regulations will happen and anything that violates rules will not take place in this government."

The Shiv Sena traditionally holds a Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park ground at Dadar in Mumbai.