Don’t trust Centre unless it’s a written deal, J&K CM Omar Abdullah tells Ladakhi delegation | India News
SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah Wednesday said Ladakhi representatives, who have been in talks with a sub-committee of the ministry of home affairs (MHA) over their demands for the region, should not trust the Centre on any assurance until it is in writing.“Ladakh has its own issues and we have our own problems. As a friend and an elder brother, I can give Ladakhi leaders one advice: please do not believe in any promises of the central government until they give it writing and sign it,” he said, adding that J&K fell victim to assurances that the statehood would be restored, which wasn’t.“We were also given a verbal promise that they would restore statehood immediately after the elections. It’s been almost two years now and that promise is nowhere,” Omar told reporters in Pulwama.On Sept 9, the MHA panel held latest round of talks with the Ladakhi delegation comprising representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in New Delhi. A day after the meeting, the Ladakh administration said that Centre has agreed to constitute a union territory-level elected body for Ladakh under Article 371 of the Constitution and that the Centre has sought the views of Ladakhi representatives on the proposed body’s powers and its relationship with the existing Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
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“The subcommittee meeting, first of all, discussed the formation of a UT-level body under Article 371 of the Constitution, as decided in the previous meeting held on July 3. It was decided that a UT-level body will be formed under Article 371,” Ladakh chief secretary Asish Kundra said.Ladakhi representatives from LAB and KDA have been in talks with MHA since 2023 for constitutional safeguards covering land, jobs, culture and environment.The MHA had formed a committee on Jan 2, 2023, led by junior minister Nityanand Rai, to address key issues of Ladakh. Since then, several rounds of talks have been held.
