Eyeing Vanishing Voter Base In Ladakh, BJP Joins Political Demand For A Probe On Leh Violence

The Ladakh unit of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has aligned with other political parties to request a formal probe into the Leh protests of September 24, which resulted in four deaths and dozens injured. The central issue driving these protests was the demand for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the region.

During the protests, youth set fire to the BJP office in Leh and damaged government offices, including that of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). The BJP, aiming to minimise the impact on its electoral prospects ahead of the LAHDC polls in October-November, has sought an investigation and the release of those facing minor offences. The party also expressed grief over protester deaths, with the BJP-led LAHDC office announcing compensation to families.

In a statement, the BJP expressed condolences to bereaved families, wished the injured a swift recovery, and said, “We call for a thorough investigation into the September 24 incident to ensure accountability and justice. We also demand the immediate release of all innocent persons charged with minor offences.”

"Our thoughts and support are with the families in this difficult time. Ladakh is known for its beauty and resilience, and we urge everyone to uphold peace and harmony. Do not take the law into your own hands or be misled by false information. Let us work together to ensure peace prevails. We appeal to everyone to unite and overcome this challenge, and request all citizens cooperate in maintaining peace and supporting healing and reconciliation," the party added.

Urging Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) to reconsider their decision to opt out of talks with the Centre, Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta on said “The administration has not made the situation worse, nor did we want it to be like this. What led to the violence is a matter of investigation".

He added that magisterial probe has already been announced "and it will start very soon”.

Commenting on leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government on the handling of the situation, he said, “The country knows what Rahul Gandhi is saying. He is trying to instigate the people and vitiate the atmosphere in the country."

“His hand is behind farmers' agitation and similar other protests. He should concentrate more on his own rather than making any attempt to disturb the atmosphere in Ladakh,” he added.

BJP Ladakh UT president Tashi Gyalson called for an impartial probe to uncover who instigated the protests. "The conspiracy behind the violence should be investigated and accountability determined," said Gyalson.

The BJP’s call to release those detained after the violence aims to protect its regional electoral prospects, particularly as public criticism has grown over the management of the protests. With the Union Territory presently led by former BJP leader Kavinder Gupta, the party contrasts its position with LG Gupta’s pledge to enact strict consequences for any violence or efforts against communal harmony.

The BJP claims Congress orchestrated protests to preserve its political base. Yet, public anger toward the BJP now stands in sharp contrast to the party's earlier popularity in Leh following the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. In the 2020 LAHDC elections, the BJP won 15 seats, the Congress won nine, and independents won two.

Ladakh became a separate UT from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 after Article 370 was revoked. Residents and activists have since sought its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution to allow local autonomous councils to frame laws barring non-locals from buying land and property.

Thinless Nurboo, BJP councillor, called the violence and deaths in Ladakh unjustifiable and tragic.

Other political parties in Ladakh, including the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which started the agitation for statehood and Sixth Schedule, have sought a judicial inquiry into deaths.  LAB member Mohammad Ramzan said that they are seeking a judicial probe in the matter, as the people who were killed were shot at from a close range. 

“It is unfortunate that the people who were protesting peacefully were shot at. Those who have died had received fire in the upper body parts,” he said.

Long-standing resentment against Kashmiris and Dogras in Ladakh has intensified due to the perceived outsider status of the UT's LG, top bureaucrats, and senior police officials—positions now often filled by individuals from Jammu—demonstrating how governance changes have deepened existing divides.

Ladakh preserves its identity with statues of local rulers and politicians across the landscape, while Zorawar Singh’s conquest, as military general of Dogra Rajput ruler Gulab Singh, is seen by some as "annexation."

Ghulam Murtaza, a political commentator, stated that the issues of identity in Ladakh were a result of electoral politics. “ There was a grievance when Ladakh was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir that the area, which has a sizeable population of Buddhists, has been neglected on the developmental front. Ladakh became part of the Dogra kings' territory when Zorawar Singh brought it under his control. But Ladakh has maintained its unique identity, which is being asserted through symbols like statues,” he said.