SRINAGAR: The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) responded differently to the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding Article 370’s abrogation.
Pertinently, a 14-member delegation of the LAB and the KDA had recently met Nityanand Rai, Union Minister of State for Home, in New Delhi over their four-point agenda and had remained united over the issue of Ladakh’s statehood, one of the key demands in their four-point agenda.
The Leh Apex Body hailed the SC verdict, while the Kargil Democratic Alliance has expressed displeasure over the verdict.
In a statement welcoming the court’s decision as a Apex Body Leh (ABL) chairman described the move as a strong step in the direction of strengthening the national integration. “The Leh Apex Body welcomes the SC’s observations about early restoration of statehood of the UT of J&K and holding of Assembly polls in J&K before September 30, 2024. It observes that democracy works on the premise that the real power belongs to the people. An elected government is the essence of democracy,” he said. The Leh Apex Body stated the judgment raised hope that the Central Government would reassess the situation and give Ladakh its due by elevating it as a full-fledged state. “Its large area, highly patriotic population waiting for due recognition, need for faster development, strategic location, distinct ethnic and cultural identity eminently entitles Ladakh to be made a state. The Leh Apex Body has always opposed Article 370 and expressed satisfaction that the SC’s judgment has confirmed the wisdom and maturity of its approach,” it stated.
On the other hand, Sajjad Kargili, a member of the KDA, said the decision of the SC was disappointing. “It is even more disappointing that there is nothing for Ladakh beyond one-line judgment which deprives Ladakhis of an elected representation,” he said.
Terming the move as a challenge to the federal structure of the country, Kargili said that the precedence has been set by Central Government to bifurcate any state without the consideration of legislative assembly
