Jammu: Former Sadr-e-Riyasat and veteran Congress leader Karan Singh while accusing NC founder Sheikh Abdullah of harbouring “terrible anti-Dogra feelings,” has said that Pandit Nehru committed a mistake by taking the Kashmir issue to the United Nations.
Speaking to PTI news agency, Singh said: “I got into politics at the age of 18 because the situation developed in such a way that my father was obliged to leave the state under very painful circumstances. Reason was, of course, Sheikh Abdullah.”
“And why, Sheikh Abdullah, because we had gone to the United Nations and had gone and agreed to a plebiscite. Maybe we need not have gone to the United Nations. In fact, I don’t think we should have gone. One of the few mistakes that Pandit ji made,” he said.
Dr Singh said that he thinks Lord Mountbatten was the one who pushed him into that. “So, Sheikh Abdullah had a terrible anti-Dogra feeling all his life. So finally, he went to Pandit ji (Nehru) and said that he cannot win the election till Maharaja Hari Singh is in the state,” he said.
Dr Singh said that Sheikh Abdullah was condescending, but he was alright, he added. “When the situation politically turned and I had to sign his dissmisal order and all. Obviously, he was very angry. We met after 14 years then and I was wondering, when we met, how will it be, so I must say to his credit as soon as he came in, he said how is tiger (Karan Singh’s nickname)? So, all the tension disappeared,” he said.
Dr Singh praised Farooq Abdullah for “bringing him back into politics,” while saying that Omar Abdullah is a very ‘balanced person’ who has a bright future ahead.
He also demanded restoration of full Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir saying that the demotion J&K to a UT was totally unacceptable.
He said the J&K was demoted to UT despite Government of India claiming J&K as Crown of India.
“Not to talk of Crown, the J&K has fallen below even Himachal and Haryana. So that is something which has to be remedied,” he said.
He expressed hope that Government of India (GoI) will restore full statehood as soon as possible.
“I want full statehood to be restored. No ifs and buts. Proper statehood. If you (GoI) say you are going to integrate it, it must be like Odisha or like Assam or like any other state then,” Karan Singh said. He said that politically the whole game has changed in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of 370.
“Before abrogation of Article 370, the main question was how much autonomy the state should get. That was the struggle. The state was asking for more autonomy, the centre wanted to give less. But with abrogation of Article 370, the whole thing has now changed. No question of autonomy arises now,” he said. He said that along with statehood the domiciliary laws should be like they have in Himachal.
“Everybody cannot buy land in Himachal. So these are domiciliary laws under sections 271, 272,” he said.
Referring to the recent Assembly elections held in J&K, Dr Karan Singh said the election held after 10 years was very interesting throwing up a clear mandate. “All 29 Hindu seats went to the BJP and the vast majority of the Muslim seats went to the National Conference,” he said.
