The Leh Apex Body has announced its decision to step back from ongoing talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday.
The Leh Apex Body has announced its decision to step back from ongoing talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday. The Apex body will not be traveling to Delhi on October 6 and stated that it will not engage in any further talks with the Union Government until peace is restored in the region. It also sought judicial inquiry to probe killing of four youth in Leh by CRPF and withdrawal of cases against 50+ youth who have been arrested.
The move comes amid rising tensions and growing concerns over governance and autonomy in Ladakh. The Apex Body, which has been a key stakeholder in representing local interests, stated that meaningful dialogue cannot take place under current circumstances.
The protests, organized by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to demand an extension of the Sixth Schedule and statehood for Ladakh, turned violent, leaving at least 90 people injured. So far, over 50 people have been detained in connection with the unrest.
The LAB, which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) is spearheading the agitation for Ladakh’s statehood and constitutional safeguards, also demanded an apology from the Centre for branding Ladakhi protestors as “anti-national” and “playing in Pakistan’s hands”.
The LAB and KDA have both accused the Union Territory administration of mishandling the protests that erupted in Leh last week. “The way bullets were fired, and many were injured, there should be some accountability… This is a big example of why we need democracy,” KDA leader Sajjad Kargili said on Monday, pressing for an impartial judicial inquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, the detention of prominent climate activist and Ladakh statehood campaigner Sonam Wangchuk under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) has intensified the anger in the region. He has been shifted to Jodhpur jail, and his supporters say his arrest has amplified Ladakh’s struggle nationwide.
Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, has also strongly refuted allegations linking him to Pakistan or to inciting violence. She said he had been protesting in the “most Gandhian way possible” and that the escalation was triggered only after CRPF action. “Who gave the CRPF the right to open fire on their own people, on their own youth?” she asked.