Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said the Centre should hold talks with the people of Ladakh to address their aspirations, and warned that if a void is left in the border state, someone else will try to fill it.
A day after Leh witnessed violence over statehood demands, Abdullah emphasised that Ladakh is a sensitive area.
“I want to tell the government that it (Ladakh) is a border state. China is lurking, they have occupied land. It is time to resolve it quickly. The government should hold talks and resolve it,” Abdullah told reporters here.
Asked about the government blaming climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for the violence, the former chief minister said the peace activist was not responsible for it.
“He (Wangchuk) has never left the Gandhian way. The youth have sidelined him today. He is not responsible for it. When they (BJP) lost elections, they imposed safety laws and put people in jails. Now they are using CBI. More they use force to suppress, the bigger the danger. I want to tell the government of India not to use force and instead hold dialogue,” he added.
Four people were killed and at least 80 injured in day-long clashes on Wednesday during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which is backing an agitation demanding statehood for Ladakh.
Asked if there were external forces stirring up trouble in Ladakh, the former chief minister dismissed the suggestion.
“There is no external hand. It is the voice of the people,” he added.
Abdullah said for the past five years, the people of Ladakh were silently protesting for a sixth schedule and statehood.
“Their leader walked from Leh to Delhi to press for the demands. He adopted the Gandhian way, not agitation. But the youth felt that the promises were hollow. The result was that they could not bear it any more,” he added.
Abdullah said the Centre should learn a lesson from the Ladakh situation and fulfil its promises with regard to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Statehood was promised to Jammu and Kashmir but where is it? They should learn a lesson. Where are the promises you made with us? Where are the jobs? People from outside are being imposed,” he said.
Asked if his party supported the violent agitation in Ladakh, he said the National Conference has never left the Gandhian way.
“We gave sacrifices but never took to violence. However, what the youth do in future, I cannot say that for sure,” he said.
Replying to a question about BJP blaming Congress for Ladakh violence, Abdullah said it was an attempt to deflect responsibility.
“BJP has been ruling since 2019. Where did the Congress come from? They (BJP) always try to deflect. Congress cannot gather 10 persons,” he said.
Abdullah held the Central government leaders responsible for the situation in Ladakh.
“Hold talks, don’t talk about holding talks …The leaders in Delhi are responsible for what is happening. They kept them busy with talks without anything substantial. They (youth) are feeling let down.The government should move now faster and resolve the issue,” he said.
Abdullah said if a void is left in the Ladakh region, someone else will try to fill it.
“Somebody will fill the gap. It is a very sensitive area. They (China) are craving Ladakh. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) had gone to China. Why did he go there? To improve relations,” he said.
Abdullah said the United States was now blaming India for the Russian war on Ukraine.
“America is coming after us for buying Russian oil. President Trump accused us of supporting war on Ukraine but the truth is we have not supported it,” he said.
Reacting to the government assertion that no land has been occupied by China in Ladakh, Abdullah said the whole world knows how much land they have taken.
“We cannot even patrol our land. How long will we live in a world of lies?” he charged.
