Srinagar, June 28 -- Veteran Congress leader and former 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Karan Singh on Saturday batted for restoration of statehood to the Union territory, and said the "people should not have to beg" the Centre for it.

"I think it (restoration of statehood) should happen. The government of India has promised that it will restore the state. See, we were the biggest state, so we should not have to beg for the state. They have to give it. Now, when they want to give it, it depends on them; we cannot force them," Singh said here.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Interfaith Dialogue organised by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) and Inter-Faith Harmony Foundation of In...