PM’s meeting with J&K leaders ‘positive’ step, says Karan Singh

Former J&K Governor Karan Singh on Friday said statehood must be restored before holding Assembly polls.

Describing as a “very positive step”, veteran Congress leader and former J&K governor Karan Singh on Friday said statehood must be restored before holding Assembly polls there and asserted that such a move would go a long way in helping to “heal the wounds” of the people. Mr. Singh, the son of Maharaja Hari Singh who signed the terms of Kashmir’s accession in 1947, also said his personal opinion is that prima facie the revocation of special status under Article 370 seems “irreversible” but asserted that the matter was before the Supreme Court and it must be decided by the top court. In an interview with PTI, the last Sadr-e-Riyasat and first governor of the erstwhile state also demanded that the Centre must provide a “financial-cum- developmental package” to the people whose livelihoods were badly affected during the last two years following the Centre’s move to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and revoke its special status.