Karan echoes Omar, but ‘J&K part of India’-Sat Oct 23 2010, 03:11 hrs

Karan echoes Omar, but ‘J&K part of India’

Sat Oct 23 2010, 03:11 hrs

Facing flak for his remarks on accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday got support from an unexpected quarter — senior Congress leader and former sadar-e-riyast Dr Karan Singh.


Singh said the state had acceded to India and not merged with it and that it why it has its own separate constitution and special status.


The statement assumes significance as Singh is son of the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh — who signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947 — and also because he was the state’s first and last sadar-e-riyast.


“The factual position is that the Instrument of Accession signed by my father Maharaja Hari Singh was the same as signed by other states. However, after that other states ended in merger with India, but Jammu Kashmir did not merge with it as it had its own separate constitution. That is why the state has special status and Article 370,” Singh said.

In his speech to the State Legislative Assembly on October 6, Omar had also said J&K had acceded to India and not merged with it as it did not sign the Instrument of Merger like other states.


Making it clear that he was not commenting on anybody’s statement on the issue but was only stating the factual position, Singh said: “In one way, other states are part of India. We are also part of India, but it is also a fact that Jammu Kashmir has been given special status with its own separate constitution and Article 370,” he said.


He, however, said this did not mean that J&K was not a part of India. “With the signing of Instrument of Accession, it became an integral part of India”.


Referring to the state’s position in India, Singh said the Union of India was a full-fledged state. “In a big federal structure, you have different types of structures like states, Union Territories... J&K for historical reasons has been given a special position,” Singh said. “Originally, my father acceded only for three conditions. After that some more were added... then Constitution came into being which I decided and which is still operative... it is a continuous process”.


Asked whether he felt bad about what Omar said, Singh retorted: “Why should I feel bad?”.