Dogra dynasty scion backs govt decision

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, August 8

Congress veteran and Dogra dynasty scion Karan Singh today differed with his party on the government’s decisions to bifurcate J&K and repeal its special status and said there were several positives in these developments that enjoyed overwhelming support of the people.

“I do not agree with a blanket condemnation of these developments. There are several positive points,” Singh said in a statement that came two days after the Congress Working Committee deplored the manner in which the government went about its J&K agenda. 

Karan Singh backed nearly everything the government accomplished in Parliament earlier this week — J&K bifurcation and abrogation of Articles 35-A and 370. He welcomed emergence of Ladakh as UT saying he had proposed this way back in 1965 as Sadr-e-Riyasat of the state.

He, however, said the main regional parties of Kashmir should not be termed anti-national and their leaders should be released and engaged. He also urged the Centre to restore J&K’s full statehood as soon as possible.

The Congress leader hailed the scrapping of Article 35-A saying gender discrimination in the Article needed to be addressed as also the “long awaited enfranchisement of refugees from west Pakistan and reservation to Scheduled Tribes will be welcomed”.

“There will also be a fresh delimitation which, for the first time, will ensure fair division of political power between the Jammu and Kashmir regions,” he said.

The first and the last Sadr-e-Riyasat of J&K, Singh was silent on momentous developments related to the state and broke his silence today only to trigger surprise across Congress circles. Several Congress leaders have dissented with party stand on the issue.

“The unusually fast decisions in Parliament caught everyone by surprise and will obviously have far-reaching consequences,” he said. 

‘Many positives’

Son of late Maharaja Hari Singh of J&K, who signed the Instrument of Accession with India in 1947, Karan Singh says blanket condemnation of J&K decision is wrong as there are many positives.

Azad flown back 

Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad was on Thursday barred from entering J&K and sent back from the Srinagar airport to Delhi. The former J&K CM said he wanted to meet people for an assessment of the ground situation. He stoked a row, claiming that those who had shared a meal with NSA Ajit Doval in Shopian had been “paid off”. TNS