Senior Congress Leader and last Yuvraj (prince)of Jammu and Kashmir Karan Singh on Thursday demanded the release of political leaders arrested in the state and a fresh political and civil society dialogue in view of the "drastically" changed situation.Singh also said in a statement that efforts should be that Jammu and Kashmir attains "full Statehood" as soon as possible so that its people can at least enjoy the political rights available in the rest of the country. But he welcomed theCentre's decision to reorganize the region and create Ladakh as a Union Territory and said the reorganization of the region had positives too."With my lifelong involvement with Jammu and Kashmir, a state founded by my ancestors and for which my father Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in 1947, my sole concern is to further the welfare of all sections and regions of the state," Singh said in a statement.

In an obvious reference to the National Conference and thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he did not name, Singh criticized theCentre's move to sideline "two regional parties" before deciding toaxe Article 370 of the Constitution giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir."Itis unfair to dismiss the two main regional parties as beinganti-national."The workers of these two parties, he said, had over theyears made heavy sacrifices for the cause of India. Besides, both the partieshad been from time to time allies of national parties and governments at theCentre and in the state. "I would, therefore, urge that leaders oflegitimate political parties in Kashmir should be released as soon as possibleand a broad based political dialogue initiated with them and with civil societyin view of the drastically changed situation."At all costs communal harmonyshould be maintained and violence eschewed."On the bifurcation of Jammuand Kashmir into two Union Terriroties, Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly andLadakh without one, Singh said the "unusually fast" decision inParliament "caught all of us completely by surprise, they will obviouslyhave far reaching implications at many levels".

He said the "drastic" measure appeared to enjoythe overwhelming support of Parliament as well as around the country, includingin Jammu and Ladakh, and that he had been pondering deeply over the situation.

"Personally I do not agree with a blanket condemnationof these developments. There are several positive points," Singh said.  "Ladakh's emergence as a Union Territoryis to be welcomed."In fact, "I had suggested this as far back as 1965when I was still Sadar-i-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir when I had publiclyproposed reorganization of the state", he said. He said the genderdiscrimination in Article 35A needed to be addressed as also the long-awaitedenfranchisement of lakhs of west Pakistan refugees and reservation forScheduled Tribes which he added would be welcomed. He said fresh delimitationin the region would ensure a "fair division of political power"between the Jammu and Kashmir regions. He said as broad spectrum of people inKashmir may be feeling "mortified", "I feel that it is importantfor the political dialogue".