Veteran Congress leader and former Sadr-e-Rasayat of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Dr. Karan Singh on Monday demanded that assembly elections should be held in the Union Territory to install a popular government.
"All political parties including Congress have been demanding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir to install a democratically elected government in the Union Territory", Dr. Singh told media persons after casting his vote for the election of Congress present at Srinagar.
He mentioned that there is no democratically elected government in J&K for the last four years. "Decision on hold assembly elections in J&K has to be taken by the Union Government but all political parties are unanimous that elections should be held", he said.
"It is good that some initiatives have been taken to hold assembly elections in J&K. Delimitation process has been completed", he said, adding, "there are reports that assembly polls in J&K will be held in March but there is no official confirmation of such reports".
The veteran Congress leader, who is in Srinagar with his family, decided to cast his vote for the president of the All India Congress Committee. "I am in Srinagar so I cast my votes for the election of party president," he said.
Appreciates Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra
Dr. Singh, who had recently stated that his relationship with the Congress party was almost zero, appreciated Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"Holding election for party president and ongoing Pad-Yatra of Rahul Gandhi are two positive things I have been observing", he said and mentioned that after a long time Congress is conducting elections for party president through votes.
"Secondly ongoing Pad Yatra will help Rahul Gandhi to connect with the people at the grassroots", Dr. Singh.
Notable on September 16, Dr. Karan Singh had dropped hints to quit the Congress party because he was "idle" in the party because no work has been assigned to him.
"I had joined Congress in 1967. But in the last 8-10 yrs, I'm no more in Parliament, I was dropped from the working committee. Yes, I'm in Congress but there's no contact, nobody asks me anything. I do my work. My relations with the party are almost zero now", he had stated on September 16.
Dal Lake is clean now
When asked about the development in J&K after the abrogation of article 370, Dr. Singh said the government has been making claims about the developmental progress in the Union Territory, but on the ground, it may take some time to see the impact.
"Dal Lake for the first time is cleaned. I am happy to see Dal Lake clean as I have personally witnessed this development," he said.
