IIOJK shouldn’t have to beg for statehood, Karan Singh tells Delhi
Srinagar: Veteran Congress leader and son of Maharaja Hari Singh has strongly endorsed restoration of statehood to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, saying the people “should not have to beg” New Delhi.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Interfaith Dialogue in Srinagar, Singh said the Government of India must honour its commitment.
“We were the biggest state, so we should not have to beg for the state. They have to give it. Now, when they want to give it depends on them,” he said.
His remarks come as the demand for statehood regained focus, with the ruling National Conference announcing a protest in New Delhi on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also sought INDIA bloc support, calling statehood a constitutional and democratic right. The Modi regime revoked IIOJK’s special status under Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and bifurcated it into two Union Territories. While an elected Assembly is now in place, key subjects like law and order remain with the Lieutenant Governor.
