BJP says they support Constitutional safeguards, not Statehood
* Apex Body blames MHA for deadlock, no invite for talks
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 14: With no invite from the Union Home Ministry for any kind of talks on their demands, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) today 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 ruckus.
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 and attended by all prominent leaders including the BJP vice president, general secretary and Deputy Chairman Hill Council besides Panchayat representatives, Civil Society members etc, turned stormy 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.
LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang told the Excelsior that they have decided to launch agitation in favour of their demands which include grant of Statehood to Ladakh as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs hasn’t even constituted the Committee for holding talks with them and not extended any invitation to them for talks after last contact on August 29 when Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai met the LAB as well as KDA during his visit to Leh.
“The MoS Home had assured formation of Committee followed by talks immediately after the meeting on August 29. But even after the lapse of nearly one and a half month the MHA hasn’t even constituted the Panel what to say of holding dialogue with us. They want to delay the issue,” Chhewang said.
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.
Asserting that they have been left with no other option but to adopt agitational programme, Chhewang said the schedule of agitation would be announced soon and shifted blame for this on the MHA saying they are not even calling them for talks.
BJP district Leh president Tashi Khachutse, however, outrightly rejected the allegations by Chhewang that their leaders created trouble in today’s meeting and instead blamed a Congress Councilor for chaos.
“We have stated that Statehood is not feasible for Ladakh as we have no source of income. We have struggled for Union Territory (UT) status for last 70 years. We celebrate grant of UT status on August 5 every year while Kargil leaders hold protect on that day. We can’t go with them,” Khachutse said.
Moreover, he added, the LAB extended the invite for meeting last evening to the BJP when their UT chief and MP Jamyang Namgayal and CEC Hill Council Tashi Gyalson were busy with the visiting President Ram Nath Kovind. The LAB should have deferred the meeting so that our senior leaders could attend, he asserted.
Khachutse, however, said the BJP fully supports Constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.
Senior KDA leader and CEC-cum-Chairman Kargil Hill Development Council Feroz Khan has extended support to the LAB decisions.
“Whatever will be done to achieve demands raised by LAB and KDA will be done together,” Khan said.
It may be mentioned here that the LAB and KDA had joined hands for the first time in a meeting held in Leh on August 2 which was attended by top leaders of Leh and Kargil. Though the BJP leaders were present in August 2 meeting, they had abstained from joint press conference post meeting.
On August 28 on the arrival of Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai to Leh, the LAB and KDA had given call for bandh in Ladakh as the two bodies were not called for the meeting prompting Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene.
Shah had called up Thupstan Chhewang after which Nityanand Rai had called the two bodies for talks in which he had assured to set up high level committee soon for talks with the LAB and KDA but that Panel hasn’t been formed even after one and a half month.
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.
While the Union Minister of State for Home hadn’t issued any official statement after the meeting, KDA leader Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie had stated that the Minister has given two assurances very categorically including constitution of a high-level committee for talks with LAB and KDA and issuance of Recruitment Policy so that the youth get absorbed.
“We hope the Minister will fulfill the promise as earlier also the Home Ministry had given assurances but nothing happened. However, the Minister told us that he is a son of the farmer and his assurance should be taken for granted,” Karbalaie had stated.
Regarding other demands like Constitutional safeguards, two Parliamentary seats etc, the KDA leader said these issues will be discussed when the joint delegation meets the high-powered committee.
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