The Leh Apex Body (LAB) has announced its decision to suspend scheduled talks with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, citing the prevailing "atmosphere of fear and anger" in Ladakh following recent violent protests. The protests, which resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to over 80 other, have led to widespread unrest in the region. In light of these events, the LAB has demanded a judicial inquiry into the police firing incident and the immediate release of detained activists, including prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs has reiterated its openness to dialogue, expressing a willingness to engage with the LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance at any time. The ministry highlighted the positive outcomes from previous discussions, such as increased reservations for Scheduled Tribes and women in Ladakh's local councils, and the commencement of recruitment for government positions in the region. However, the LAB maintains that talks cannot resume until normalcy is restored and their demands are addressed. This development underscores the ongoing challenges in Ladakh, where demands for statehood, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, and greater autonomy continue to fuel tensions between local leaders and the central government. #LehApexBody #StatehoodDemand #JudicialInquiry #CivilUnrest #CentralGovernment #LocalGovernance #PoliticalNews #NewsOne
In Leh, the Leh Apex Body (LAB)—one of the principal local organizations in Ladakh—acknowledged that during the recent protest for statehood or greater autonomy, “some youngsters went out of control.” At the same time, LAB strongly alleged that police fired on protesters without warning, causing casualties and injuries. They rejected claims of external instigation or foreign hand in the unrest, and have demanded a judicial inquiry into the circumstances of the firing. According to LAB, many of the injured bore bullet and pellet wounds in the upper body region, suggesting the firing was indiscriminate and without adequate crowd control measures such as warnings or less-lethal response first. LAB leaders also emphasized that while some protest actions may have escalated, the use of lethal force cannot be justified without accountability. On the government and security side, the Ladakh Police Chief has defended the firing, saying that the police used “self-defence” given the scale of unrest and threat posed, arguing that the situation endangered the entire Leh area. He contended that police had no choice given the violence, stone-pelting, arson, and threat to personnel and property. #LadakhViolence #LehProtests #LABStatement #PoliceFiring #JudicialInquiry #StatehoodDemand #SixthSchedule #CivilRights #SelfDefenceClaim #Accountability
