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Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday urged the Centre to hold talks with the people of Ladakh, calling on the government to “engage in dialogue and stop the politics of violence and fear”, as he demanded a fair judicial inquiry into the recent violence in Leh that claimed four lives.

 

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi highlighted that one of the victims who was shot dead belonged to a family of soldiers. “Father a soldier, son also a soldier those whose blood runs with patriotism. Yet the BJP government took the life of the country’s brave son by shooting him, just because he stood up for Ladakh and his rights. The father’s pained eyes are just asking one question — is this the reward for serving the country today?” he said.

 

He further reiterated his demand for a fair judicial inquiry, calling the deaths “murders” and adding, “Our demand is that there must be a fair judicial inquiry into these murders that took place in Ladakh, and the guilty must be given the strictest possible punishment. Modi ji, you have betrayed the people of Ladakh.”

 

Rahul Gandhi stressed that the people of Ladakh were “demanding their rights”. “They are demanding their rights, engage in dialogue — stop the politics of violence and fear,” he added.

 

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Earlier, on September 24, violence broke out in Leh during protests, when the local BJP office was set on fire. Four people were killed in the clashes. Two days later, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA). He has been accused of “inciting violence”.

 

The people of Ladakh have been demanding the inclusion of the Union Territory under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This Schedule contains Articles 244(2) and 275(1), which provide for the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

 

Sonam Wangchuk has been advocating for Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, which provides for the creation of autonomous district councils with certain legislative and judicial powers. The provisions of the Schedule currently apply only to the north-eastern states of Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya.