Talks lined up for Oct 6, Leh violence ‘staged’: Centre

Srinagar, Sep 24: The day-long clashes that left four persons dead and dozens other, including 22 policemen, injured, in Leh on Wednesday is believed to have been engineered by vested interests, official sources have said.

The clashes took place betwen protesters and security personnel during a shutdown sponsored by Leh Apex Body (LAB) which has been leading an agitation for the past five years for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule.

A BJP office, a police vehicle and several cars were set ablaze by the protesters.

Official sources claimed that the unrest in Ladakh was not a spontaneous development but a “deliberately engineered” situation, alleging that certain individuals were pursuing narrow political and personal ambitions at the cost of the region’s youth.

According to the sources, the Union Government had already scheduled a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on October 6 to discuss all issues raised by the Apex Body of Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).

“The Centre had agreed to the new members for the HPC as proposed by ABL. Upon receiving a request for pre-ponement, meetings were even being considered on September 25–26,” an official said, adding that the government had consistently kept the door open for dialogue.

They pointed out that talks were earlier proposed for July 25, but the response from the stakeholders “was not positive.” Despite this, the Centre, they said, remained ready for discussions “with an open mind.”

“But even when talks were lined up, violence was provoked. Why?” the sources questioned, hinting at what they described as a “planned escalation.”

Officials alleged that some activists had previously spoken about “Arab Spring-style protests” and cited Gen-Z protests in Nepal, which, they suggested, “now appear to have been a blueprint.”

They also hinted at attempts to use the agitation as a cover for “certain irregularities” allegedly linked to him.

The sources further accused some Congress leaders of making statements that “almost sounded like instructions” by referring to stone pelting, shutdowns, and arson. “Why were they so ready? The entire episode smacks of conspiracy motivated by politics and personal gains,” one official remarked.

However, the sources were careful to point out that the youth of Ladakh should not be blamed. “They were misled and caught up in a sinister plot for political and personal gain. The Centre stands committed to the welfare and empowerment of Ladakhi people and stands firmly with the youth,” the official asserted.