Ladakh Safeguards Offer a ‘Slap’ on J-K Leadership: MP Ruhullah Mehdi

Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday said the Centre’s reported offer of constitutional safeguards for Ladakh was a “slap on the face” of the leadership in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that leaders in Ladakh had shown how united political resistance could secure negotiations with the Union government.

Addressing reporters in Srinagar, Mehdi said the developments in Ladakh highlighted the failure of Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership to collectively fight for constitutional and democratic rights after the 2019 reorganisation of the erstwhile state.

“This is the fight I have been saying that we have to fight. Our leadership is not fighting it and the people of Ladakh have shown the way,” Mehdi said.

The remarks came a day after representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) held talks with a sub-committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs over constitutional safeguards , democratic representation and governance reforms for Ladakh.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk said the Centre had proposed safeguards for Ladakh on the lines of Articles 371A and 371G , instead of granting protections under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. He added that the government had also agreed in principle to create a governance structure for the entire Union Territory rather than limiting authority to hill councils.

KDA member Sajjad Kargili said the Centre had proposed legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers for Ladakh and was expected to share a formal draft for further consultation with constitutional experts.

However, leaders from Ladakh clarified that discussions were still underway and no final agreement had been reached.

The demand for constitutional protections and statehood has gained momentum in Ladakh since the region was carved out as a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.