SRINAGAR: A complete shutdown is being observed in the Kargil district, while a protest march took place in the Leh district of Ladakh UT to reaffirm various demands, including Ladakh’s Statehood, job reservations for locals, and a parliamentary seat each for Leh and Kargil.
A call for ‘Leh Chalo’ was issued by Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), urging people to gather in Leh to express their protest.
Meanwhile, all shops, business establishments and offices remained shut, while transport services were also disrupted.
A day before Shut down, Union Home Ministry invited civil society leaders from the region for the second round of high-powered committee dialogue on February 19.
The MHA committee led by Minister of State (Home) Nityanand Rai was reconstituted on November 30 last year, after the first committee constituted in January 2023 was rejected by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
The reconstituted committee held its first meeting on December 4 and for the first time it agreed to examine the demand of civil society groups in Ladakh to provide “constitutional safeguards” for the UT.
The next meeting has been scheduled on February 19 in Delhi, a letter by the Ministry said.
