NEW DELHI: The opposition may send a delegation to Ladakh, where violence during a protest last month demanding statehood and tribal status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution left four people dead and several injured, PTI reported on Saturday.
Sources in several opposition parties said the delegation could go to the Union Territory towards the end of the month, but discussions so far have been informal.
Parties such as the Congress, which leads the opposition INDIA bloc, along with constituents including the CPI(M), Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, have held talks on the proposal.
“The matter is being discussed seriously,” a senior leader told PTI.
In July 2023, an opposition delegation had visited Manipur, two months after ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was repeatedly criticised by the opposition for not visiting Manipur, launched several projects there last month during his first visit to the state in two years.
Ladakh violence - and govt crackdown
The Union territory's capital, Leh, witnessed widespread violence on September 24 during an agitation led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), demanding statehood and the extension of Sixth Schedule protections. Ladakh, which was carved out of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir and granted Union Territory status in 2019, saw protests escalate into clashes resulting in civilian casualties and injuries to others, including security personnel.
The BJP-led central government has accused climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was leading a hunger strike in Leh at the time, of "instigating" the protesters. Wangchuk called off his strike following the violence and was subsequently detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on September 26. He is currently lodged in a jail in faraway Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Opposition leaders have condemned the civilian deaths, Wangchuk’s arrest, and his booking under NSA, while also backing calls for a judicial enquiry into the firing incident.
The NSA allows the Centre and state governments to detain individuals to prevent actions “prejudicial to the defence of India.” Detention can last up to 12 months but may be revoked earlier. Since it is preventive detention, authorities are not legally required to present the detainee before a court, though it must be ratified by a board headed by a former high court judge before an individual is booked under it.
Sources in several opposition parties said the delegation could go to the Union Territory towards the end of the month, but discussions so far have been informal.
Parties such as the Congress, which leads the opposition INDIA bloc, along with constituents including the CPI(M), Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, have held talks on the proposal.
“The matter is being discussed seriously,” a senior leader told PTI.
In July 2023, an opposition delegation had visited Manipur, two months after ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was repeatedly criticised by the opposition for not visiting Manipur, launched several projects there last month during his first visit to the state in two years.
Ladakh violence - and govt crackdown
The Union territory's capital, Leh, witnessed widespread violence on September 24 during an agitation led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), demanding statehood and the extension of Sixth Schedule protections. Ladakh, which was carved out of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir and granted Union Territory status in 2019, saw protests escalate into clashes resulting in civilian casualties and injuries to others, including security personnel.
The BJP-led central government has accused climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was leading a hunger strike in Leh at the time, of "instigating" the protesters. Wangchuk called off his strike following the violence and was subsequently detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on September 26. He is currently lodged in a jail in faraway Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Opposition leaders have condemned the civilian deaths, Wangchuk’s arrest, and his booking under NSA, while also backing calls for a judicial enquiry into the firing incident.
The NSA allows the Centre and state governments to detain individuals to prevent actions “prejudicial to the defence of India.” Detention can last up to 12 months but may be revoked earlier. Since it is preventive detention, authorities are not legally required to present the detainee before a court, though it must be ratified by a board headed by a former high court judge before an individual is booked under it.
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