Srinagar, March 21: Congress party on Thursday called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding clarity on his promise of granting statehood and self-governance to Ladakh.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, voiced these concerns, urging the Prime Minister to prioritize the issue over other engagements.
“Since the prime minister has put off his Bhutan photo-ops today, we hope he can devote some time to Ladakh,” stated Ramesh in a post on social media platform X, referring to Modi’s rescheduled visit to Bhutan due to inclement weather.
Highlighting the prolonged agitation in Ladakh since February 3rd, Ramesh pointed out the dissatisfaction among locals with the governance structure imposed by the central government. “The people of Ladakh have been protesting against the Modi Sarkar’s heavy-handed ‘rule by bureaucracy,’ which has made a mockery of local elected institutions,” he remarked.
Ramesh emphasized the role of environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk in bringing Ladakh’s plight to national and global attention. He underlined the demands of Ladakhi people, including constitutional safeguards such as statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
“The BJP had promised Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, but why is this promise still pending? Does the Prime Minister have any intention of upholding his ‘Modi ki guarantee’?” questioned Ramesh, highlighting the BJP’s manifesto commitments.
Further, Ramesh criticized the absence of a representative government in Ladakh since the dissolution of the BJP-PDP Government in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018. He questioned the rationale behind declaring Ladakh a separate Union Territory without consulting its people and slammed the lack of consultation in key policy decisions affecting the region.
Allegations were also raised against the Modi government regarding Chinese encroachment on Ladakhi land and the proposed Ladakh Industrial Land Allotment Policy 2023. Ramesh accused the government of neglecting environmental and cultural considerations in policy formulation and questioned the composition of decision-making committees.
“The proposed Land Allotment Policy lacks transparency and public consultation, raising concerns about favoritism towards industrial interests over the welfare of Ladakhi people,” asserted Ramesh, using the hashtag “#ChuppiTodoPradhanMantriji” to urge the Prime Minister to” break his silence on the matter.”