Mehbooba Mufti blames central government’s policies for Ladakh violence.
PDP chief says people demand Sixth Schedule to protect identity, land and jobs.
She dismisses BJP’s allegation against Congress, calls protests a people’s outburst.
Mehbooba Mufti Blames Centre’s Policies For Ladakh Violence, Seeks Sixth Schedule Protection
PDP president says Ladakh unrest stems from unfulfilled promises, urges Centre to address identity, land and job concerns.
Summary
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said the recent violent protests in Ladakh were the result of the central government’s “wrong policies”.
According to PTI, Mufti told reporters that the Union home ministry had made several promises to the people of Ladakh, but nothing had materialised in the past six years. She said the events on Wednesday reflected a breach in the region’s tolerance.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister noted that Ladakhis have been pressing for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule to safeguard their identity, culture, land, and jobs. “They were disappointed that nothing was happening. If people from outside come there in large numbers, what will remain of them? They are just a few lakh in number,” she said.
Mufti urged the Centre to reflect on the developments in the Union Territory. “The Centre should think over it. A happy and prosperous place like Ladakh is burning today. Ladakh has remained peaceful even when Kashmir and Jammu were engulfed in violence. Ladakhis played a stellar role in the Kargil War,” she said.
On the Bharatiya Janata Party’s claim that the Congress party had instigated the violence, Mufti dismissed the allegation, calling it a “people’s outburst”. She said, “The government does not want to admit its failure and they have to find a scapegoat. If the Congress had that much support, the situation would have been different. It was a spontaneous reaction to apprehensions of losing their identity, land and jobs.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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