SrinagarSeptember 26, 2025 12:15 PM IST
First published on: Sep 26, 2025 at 11:57 AM IST
Senior BJP leader and former Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal has said the September 24 police “firing on unarmed protestors” in Leh had “shaken the public trust” and that the crisis in the Union Territory “could have been handled with greater patience”.
In a letter to Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta dated September 25, the former MP called for an impartial and transparent judicial inquiry into the killing of four protesters in Leh and urged that a “credible dialogue process” be initiated.
“The grief of the bereaved families is immeasurable, and the anguish across Ladakh is profound. Citizens seek justice for the innocent lives lost, relief for the injured, and assurance that such a tragedy will never recur. At the same time, there is grave concern that the crisis could have been handled with greater patience. While violence and arson must be condemned, the firing on unarmed protestors has shaken public trust. Ladakh’s people are united in their call for peace, justice, and accountability,” Namgyal wrote.
Expressing sorrow over the police firing in which four protesters were killed and more than 50 were injured, Namgyal said that “a peaceful democratic expression turned into violence, leaving four young lives lost, many injured, property damaged, and our community gripped by fear”.
The BJP leader hailed the appeals for calm issued by the Leh Apec Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and also appreciated the “intervention” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in initiating a dialogue with the core members of the Centre’s High Powered Committee before the scheduled meeting of October 6. The panel has been set up to discuss the issues and concerns of the people of the Ladakh region, including measures to protect Ladakh’s “unique culture and language”, considering its geographical location and strategic importance, as well as “ensuring the protection of land and employment for the people of Ladakh”.
Namgyal has made a slew of demands, such as a judicial probe into the September 24 police firing, initiation of a “credible dialogue”, and compensation for the families of the victims.
“Ladakh stands at a fragile juncture. The sacrifices of our young men must not go in vain. Our people, who shoulder immense responsibility as guardians of this frontier, deserve governance that is both firm and humane-delivering justice with compassion and addressing grievances with honesty,” he wrote in the letter.
What the dispute is about
The violence in Leh occurred during protests for statehood and for inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. The Leh Apex Body had called the protests in support of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a 35-day fast to press for Ladakh’s long-standing demands. On Thursday, the Centre announced the cancellation of the FCRA licence of an organisation run by Wangchuk. Action under the FCRA – or Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act – came in a case that was lodged two months ago and followed a day after the government accused Wangchuk of provoking the violence.
New Delhi also dispatched a “special envoy” to Leh on Thursday to try and resolve the crisis, even as a six-member delegation (three each from Leh and Kargil districts) flew to Delhi Thursday evening to engage with the Centre.
The stalemate has occurred as the Centre is reluctant to extend Sixth Schedule protections — meant originally for the Northeast — to Ladakh, while Wangchuk and the other civil society representatives want nothing short of it. The government is learnt to have offered alternative constitutional safeguards, with Amit Shah conveying this to Ladakh representatives back in March 2024. Among the incremental measures offered by the Centre are domicile-based job reservations and recognition of local languages.