Last Updated on October 15, 2021 at 1:28 pm
Since there has been no further talks with Union Home Ministry on their demands, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) announced agitational programme in favour of their demands including Statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh with full Constitutional safeguards and blamed the BJP with deliberately creating chaos in today’s meeting, a charge denied by the party which held a Congress Councilor responsible for the chaos.
The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has said the agitational programme will be chalked out collectively.
The LAB meeting chaired by Thupstan Chhewang, a former two-time Lok Sabha member turned out to be a heated one as the BJP categorically stated that situation was not ripe for demanding Statehood to Ladakh and also opposed any kind of tie-up with the KDA on the ground that they were also supporting restoration of Article 370.
It was attended by all prominent leaders including the BJP vice president, general secretary and Deputy Chairman Hill Council besides Panchayat representatives, Civil Society members etc.
LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang said that they have decided to launch agitation in favour of their demands. Chhewang further said that after the gap of nearly one and a half month the MHA hasn’t even constituted the panel and they want to delay the issue. He added that BJP UT president and Lok Sabha MP Jamyang Tsering Namgayal and Chairman-cum-CEC Leh Hill Development Council Tashi Gyalson didn’t attend the meeting. The BJP UT vice president, general secretary and vice chairman Hill Council were present.
Chhewang further said that the soon the schedule of agitation would be announced and shifted blame for this on the MHA saying they are not even calling them for talks.
BJP district Leh president Tashi Khachutse, however, rejected the allegations by Chhewang that their leaders created trouble in today’s meeting and instead blamed a Congress Councilor for chaos.
Senior KDA leader and CEC-cum-Chairman Kargil Hill Development Council Feroz Khan extended support to the LAB decisions. “Whatever will be done to achieve demands raised by LAB and KDA will be done together,” Khan said. The demands raised jointly by LAB and KDA include full-fledged Statehood for Ladakh, Constitutional safeguards under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, two Parliamentary seats for Ladakh, protection of jobs, land, culture, language, identity, environment and minerals etc of Ladakh.
