Leh Apex Body (LAB) announced on Monday that it would boycott the negotiations with the Center and demand a fair judicial inquiry into the firing by security forces on 24 September. Four people were killed and around 90 others were injured in the shootout. The next round of talks between the Center and the Ladakh representatives, including the Leh Apex body and members of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), were scheduled on 6 October. The LAB, which is leading the movement for the state status and constitutional safety measures of Ladakh in association with KDA, also demanded an apology from the Center to call Ladakhi protesters anti-national and play in the hands of Pakistan.
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This demand has come amid the ongoing movement in Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule to demand state status and constitutional security measures. Both LAB and KDA have accused the Union Territory Administration of not handling the protests in Leh last week. KDA leader Sajjad Kargili demanded a fair judicial inquiry into the incident, saying, “The way bullets were fired and many people were injured, there should be some accountability of it. This is a big example of why we need democracy. The arrest under the rigorous National Security Act (NSA) of the Major Climate activist and agitator Sonam Wangchuk for the state of Ladakh has increased the agrarian in the area. Has been transferred, and his supporters say his arrest has given a nationwide look to Ladakh’s struggle.
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KDA has demanded an immediate and unconditional release of Wangchuk and others detained after the September 24 violence in Leh. Kargili said that very few people knew about Ladakh’s struggles, but after the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk, the issue and demands of Ladakh have reached every house in the country.