SRINAGAR: A day after Ladakh groups claimed the Centre had in principle agreed to grant the Union Territory a legislative assembly, a chief minister, and constitutional safeguards similar to Article 371, Jammu and Kashmir's ruling National Conference (NC) leadership faced sharp criticism on Saturday for failing to fight hard enough for the restoration of rights, including statehood.
NC MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi's Criticism
"This is a slap on J&K leadership's face. If Ladakh's leadership can fight together in unity and secure its rights from the Centre, there is no excuse for Kashmir's leadership," said Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, NC MP who has long been critical of his party's top brass on many issues.
Mehdi was referring to claims by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), Ladakh's two main political groupings, whose members held talks with a Union Home Ministry (MHA) sub-committee in New Delhi on Friday. Climate activist and LAB member Sonam Wangchuk was part of the talks.
Mehdi has focused on Article 370, demanding the revival of J&K's special status clause that was abrogated in 2019. "I have been urging this (NC) leadership to fight this battle but they refused. The people of Ladakh have shown how it should be done," Mehdi said.
Contrast with CM Omar Abdullah's Approach
By contrast, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been calling for the restoration of J&K's statehood since taking office in October 2024. However, critics argue that his efforts have been insufficient.
PDP's Reaction
People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief spokesperson Mehboob Beg also cited the Ladakh example. "The news to grant constitutional safeguards to Ladakh or even a dialogue on these lines is welcome. Asymmetrical federalism is the essence of how plural identities are respected while remaining solid as one nation. Yet, J&K being singled out and stripped of safeguards that protect local pride is deeply unfortunate. This glaring disparity must be remedied," Beg wrote on X.
PDP legislator Waheed Parra urged J&K's leadership, especially CM Omar whose party enjoys a huge mandate, to learn from Ladakhis. "This mandate could have been used for inclusive dialogue to restore the political process and constitutional rights for J&K. Instead of pressing for restoration of political rights, NC has wasted its mandate in turf wars with LG (Manoj Sinha's) administration over posting of officials," Parra said.
Ladakh Groups' Claims After Talks
After the talks on Friday, LAB and KDA members claimed assurances from the Centre on restoring democracy in Ladakh and providing constitutional safeguards on the lines of Article 371 A, F, and G (applied to Nagaland, Sikkim, and Mizoram).
According to LAB and KDA, MHA authorities told them the only reason why Ladakh cannot be made a state now is that it lacks adequate revenues to meet basic expenses like staff salaries. However, they said, the new model will lead Ladakh towards full statehood after it meets the revenue criteria.
Background of the Dialogue Process
MHA had established a high-powered committee on January 2, 2023, led by junior minister Nityanand Rai, to address key issues of Ladakh. Since then, many rounds of talks have been held under a high-powered committee, and occasionally at a sub-committee level.
The dialogue process stopped after four people were killed and over 80 injured in alleged police firing on protesters in Leh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards on September 24, 2025. Wangchuk was accused of inciting the protesters through speeches. He was arrested, charged under the National Security Act (NSA), and kept in Jodhpur jail.
The Centre revoked Wangchuk's NSA detention in March this year and affirmed its commitment to "constructive engagement and dialogue" to resolve the region's issues. After his release, Wangchuk has pressed for such talks.
