Srinagar, Sep 25 : PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday blamed the central government’s “wrong policies” after 2019 for the violence in Ladakh, saying the region once known for peace is now burning because people fear losing their land, jobs, and identity.
According to KNS, she said that Ladakhis had initially welcomed Union Territory status in 2019 with hopes of greater rights, but instead were “betrayed with broken promises.” She warned that what happened in Jammu and Kashmir is now repeating in Ladakh.
“Ladakh was always peaceful, even during the worst days in Kashmir and Jammu. But today the same Ladakh is burning because of New Delhi’s wrong policies. People fear their culture, jobs and land will be snatched in the name of development,” Mehbooba said.
She added that the anger in Ladakh is not instigated but a natural outburst of frustration after six years of unemployment, insecurity over land, and unfulfilled promises. “Blaming leaders like Sonam Wangchuk or Congress is scapegoating. What the Centre needs is wisdom, not clever tactics,” she remarked.
PDP chief also said that Ladakh’s sensitive environment and fragile land are under threat from big business interests, while the Centre continues with “empty meetings instead of real action.”
She said China has already occupied over 5,000 sq km of Ladakh territory and ignoring people’s demands could “pose a bigger threat in future.”(KNS)
