The Congress on Thursday questioned the Centre’s silence on key demands from Ladakh, including statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, coinciding with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the Union Territory.
Addressing reporters, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh slammed the timing of Amit Shah's visit and the government’s inaction on longstanding local concerns.
"Home Minister Amit Shah is on a two-day tour to Ladakh. For the first time after 2019, the home minister is on a tour to Ladakh. It has been seven years since he went there. In the intervening period, there were mass protests, cases filed against 83 people, four Ladakhis shot dead and one Ladakhi civil society activist, Sonam Wangchuk, was arrested under NSA for six months," Ramesh said.
He noted that Ladakh, which was carved out as a Union Territory in 2019, is currently governed under the Lieutenant Governor, and reiterated the region’s demand for greater political autonomy.
"You created a Union Territory but it effectively means Lieutenant Governor's rule. Their (Ladakhis') two demands are statehood with legislature and protection under the Sixth Schedule," he said.
Ramesh added that the Sixth Schedule would grant local councils greater control over land and natural resources. He also flagged the lack of clarity on demands for a Ladakh Public Service Commission.
The congress leader also pointed out that while Ladakh earlier had two districts, Leh and Kargil, it has now been reorganised into seven districts.
He questioned whether this would lead to the creation of additional autonomous hill development councils.
He further stressed Ladakh’s strategic importance and said residents have been seeking constitutional safeguards similar to those available in States such as Nagaland, Assam and Manipur.
Meanwhile, Shah arrived in Ladakh earlier in the day on a two-day visit. He is scheduled to attend the first international exposition of sacred relics of Lord Buddha in India and offer prayers on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
He will also lay the foundation stone for a dairy plant with a capacity of 10,000 litres per day in Kargil and participate in related programmes.
(With inputs from PTI)