Karan Singh refuses to toe Congress line, welcomes Union Territory status for Ladakh

NEW DELHI: Disagreeing with the stand of Congress on Article 370 and reorganisation of J&K, Veteran party leader and son of Maharaja Hari Singh of J&K, Karan Singh Thursday said he does not agree with a blanket condemnation of these developments and there are several positive points.

Breaking his silence, Singh who was J&K Sadar-i-Riyasat and first governor, said that the unusually fast decisions in Parliament by Centre took everyone by surprise. He joins a long list of Congress

leaders who have supported the government move.

In a statement the "positive points" Singh counted included the Union Territory status for Ladakh, scrapping of Article 35 A, future delimitation of J&K as a result of the state's bifurcation into UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

However, he did not comment directly on Article 370 and also called for releasing the leaders of legitimate political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and initiate a broad-based political dialogue with them.

His statement comes two days after the Congress Working Committee deplored the manner in which the government stripped J&K of its special status by scrapping provisions of Article 370, and bifurcated the state.

"The drastic measure appears to enjoy the overwhelming support of Parliament as well as around the country, including Jammy and Kashmir & Ladakh. Personally, I do not agree with a blanket condemnation of these developments. There are several positive points," he said in a statement.

Welcoming scrapping of 35A, he said gender discrimination in it was needed to be addressed as also the long-awaited enfranchisement of lakhs of West Pakistan refugees and reservations for STs which will be welcomed.

"There will also be a fresh delimitation which, for the first time will ensure a fresh division of political power between the Jammu and Kashmir division. Ladakh's emergence as a UT is to be welcomed. In fact I had suggested this as far back as 1965 when I was still Sadar-i-Riyasat of J&K when I had publicly proposed reorganisation of the state," he added.

Stressing upon continuation of political dialougue in Kashmir, Singh said: "It is unfair to dismiss the two main regional parties as being anti-national. Their workers have over the years made heavy

sacrifices, and besides both of them have been allies of national parties."

As Karan Singh broadly backed the fresh developments in the state, of which he was the first and the last Sadr-e-Riyasat, he refrained from directly opposing or backing the abrogation of provisions of Article 370, which repealed J&K's special status.

He called for a political dialogue in the Valley and said the two main parties -- Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference -- of Kashmir should not be called "anti-nationals".

"With regard to Kashmir, where a broad spectrum of people may be feeling mortified, I feel it is important for the political dialogue to continue. It is unfair to dismiss the two main regional parties as being anti-national. I would urge that leaders of legitimate political parties in Kashmir be released and a broad-based political dialogue initiated with them," the former Congress minister said.

He also said efforts should be made to restore full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible so that "people can at least enjoy political rights available to the rest of the country".

Singh recalled his father Hari Singh's decision to sign the Instrument of Accession with India in 1947 and said, "My sole concern is the welfare of all sections of people in the state."