Even as many senior Congress leaders have been highly critical of government's handling of violence in Leh, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that Ladakh’s people, culture, and traditions were under attack by the BJP and RSS, as he batted for inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
His remarks came in the wake of last week’s violence in Leh in which four people were killed in firing by the security forces and scores of others were injured. Fifty people have since been taken into custody for their alleged involvement in rioting.Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, the main voice behind the demand for statehood for Ladakh, has been detained under the National Security Act and lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, “Ladakh’s amazing people, culture, and traditions are under attack by the BJP and RSS.” “Ladakhis asked for a voice. The BJP responded by killing 4 young men and jailing Sonam Wangchuk. Stop the killing. Stop the violence. Stop the intimidation,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said .“Give Ladakh a voice. Give them the 6th Schedule,” he added.
Curfew remained in force in violence-hit Leh for the fifth consecutive day on Sunday, with Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta set to hold a security review meeting to take a call on the relaxation in the restrictions, officials said.
Meanwhile, party's local leadership on Sunday said the “false promises” made by the BJP and the “betrayal” by the Central government under its leadership led to the agitation in Ladakh.“The agitation is the outcome of the false promises made by the BJP in their manifesto. They had promised the Sixth Schedule (of the Constitution). This agitation is against the betrayal and the unfulfillment of the promises in the last five years,” Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Karra said, addressing a press conference here.He said that had the BJP kept its promises, the situation would not have come to this.
“Rather than engaging them (people of Ladakh), and acknowledging their own (BJP) mistakes and giving a direction to dialogue, they are targeting the Congress. They are trying to shift the blame for their mismanagement and unfulfillment of the promises towards the Congress,” he said.The protests in support of the demand for statehood and inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution took a violent turn on September 24, leaving four people dead and many injured.
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