"Issues can't be resolved in one meeting," says Kargil Democratic Alliance member after talks with MHA

New Delhi, Oct 22: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday held a meeting with Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) sub-committee. The Ministry had invited the two bodies as well as the Ladakh MP for talks.

After the meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Member of Kargil Democratic Alliance, Sajjad Hussain Kargili, said, "Our demand for the past six years has been democracy in Ladakh. A great solution for this is statehood in Ladakh... This issue cannot be resolved in one or two meetings. It will take a process, and that process is ongoing. We discussed the implementation of a reservation policy in Ladakh. We also talked about the release of detainees of the 24 September incident, which also includes Sonam Wangchuk. We have also asked for compensation for the people who died or were injured in that incident..."

Mohmad Haneefa, MP Ladakh said that there is an expectation that the issues of Ladakh will be addressed by the government.

"The meeting took place in a very positive atmosphere, with an encouraging start. Both Ladakh's leadership and officials from the Home Ministry participated openly and sincerely. Discussions focused on safeguarding issues, with all concerns presented. There is a hopeful expectation that Ladakh's issues will be addressed in the future. Although a single meeting is unlikely to yield immediate decisions, a request was made for a series of meetings to thoroughly discuss and resolve these issues. Additionally, demands were made for the release of detainees, including Sonam Wangchuk, and compensation for families who lost loved ones in the September 24 incident. The meeting was attended by MPs and chief executive councilors, and discussions are ongoing regarding the state schedule issue," he said.

Earlier on October 17, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered a judicial inquiry into the law and order incident that occurred in Leh town on September 24, which led to police action and the unfortunate death of four individuals.

The inquiry will be conducted by former Supreme Court judge BS Chauhan to examine the circumstances leading to the incident, the subsequent police action, and the resulting loss of lives.
An FIR has already been registered at Leh Police Station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Sections 189, 191(2), 191(3), 190, 115(2), 118(1), 118(2), 326, 324, 326(e), 326(f), 326(g), 309, 109, 117(2), 125, 121(1), and 61(2).

Justice Chauhan will be assisted in the inquiry by Mohan Singh Parihar, Retired District and Sessions Judge, as Judicial Secretary, and Tushar Anand, IAS, as Administrative Secretary.
The ministry stated that the inquiry aims to ensure transparency and accountability in examining the events that led to the incident and the subsequent police response.

The move comes after a mob attacked a political party office as well as the government office of the CEC Leh on September 24. They also set these offices on fire, attacked the security personnel, and torched a police vehicle.