BJP President Dorjay Angchuk speech during the rally organised by all religious and political parties demanding constitutional safeguard for UT Ladakh, triggered a sharp reaction from District Congress Committee, Leh.

Addressing a press conference on February 18 at party office, Tsering Namgyal, President, District Congress Committee, Leh described Dorjay Angchuk speech irresponsible, lowering the very essence of the apolitical gathering organised for the whole Ladakh region.

“Prior rally, it was decided in a meeting that all the speakers will speak and focus only on the safeguard for Ladakh region. But things turned out to be in other way when BJP President spoke as if BJP campaigning is going on”, he added.

He said that the party president has misused the platform for their political gain rather than talking about the need for constitutional safeguards for the Ladakh region.

During the rally on February 17 at Polo ground, Leh, Dorjay Angchuk said, “With the grant of UT status for Ladakh, many people came up with different opinions regarding safeguards. Today, everyone came to one decision that Ladakh do not need 6th schedule, 5th schedule or Article 371. The region only needs constitutional safeguard on certain subjects including land, job, environment and identity.”

Countering the statement, Tsering Namgyal said, “I wonder which constitutional safeguard he is talking about when most of the leaders and experts already recommended 6th schedule for Ladakh at all levels because it fulfils all the criteria”.

He refers to the different recommendation made by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) at a meeting in Delhi on September 11, letter to Home Minister, Amit Shah signed by Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP,Ladakh, Gyal P Wangyal, CEC, Hill Council Leh and Feroz Ahmed Khan, CEC, Hill Council, Kargil, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda and Congress leader Ambika Soni in the Rajya Sabha. All of them expressed the need of UT Ladakh to be included under the sixth schedule at different levels.

Talking about the limited power of Hill Council, he said that the empowerment of Hill Council with legislative power is must to safeguard subjects of local importance which is in line with the sixth schedule.
Tsering Namgyal strongly raised the need of UT Ladakh to be included under the sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution to preserve the tribal identity, custom and environment.