Ladakh LG VK Saxena cautioned activist Sonam Wangchuk against spreading 'misleading narratives' and comparing the UT to Manipur. Wangchuk reportedly agreed to reconsider his stand on the comparison and the 'Cockroach Janata Party' movement.
LG Cautions Wangchuk Against 'Misleading Narrative'
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday cautioned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk against spreading a "misleading narrative" and comparing the Union Territory to the violence-hit Manipur.
LG VK Saxena met with Sonam Wangchuk and Gitanjali Angmo following a round of talks between Ladakh's umbrella civil and political bodies, Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, and the Union Home Ministry. VK Saxena stated that Wangchuk agreed to revisit his stand on the Cockroach Janata Party movement. Saxena posted on X, "Had a candid exchange with Shri Sonam Wangchuk and Smt. Gitanjali Angmo in the backdrop of the constructive dialogue in the Union Home Ministry. We agreed that an air of positivity, both in terms of development initiatives and political dialogue, needs to be maintained. I cautioned Shri Wangchuk to abjure from weaving a misleading and provocative narrative, which vitiates public discourse."
"Democratic expression must not be taken as license for fabricating falsehoods and rabble rousing. He accepted that comparing the situation of Ladakh with Manipur was an error of judgement. He also said that he was unsure of the origins of the Cockroach Party and would study the motivations of its founders and revisit his stand, if necessary," he added.
He also suggested Wangchuk against the rallies and protests amid "positive developments" in the talks with the Centre. "I also highlighted that repeated rallies and protests, despite positive developments initiated by the Centre, will have a negative impact on economic activities in the tourism space, which is the backbone of Ladakh. Shri Wangchuk appreciated the positive development initiatives like Him Sarovar project, restoration of Igoo Phey Canal, construction of Mahe - Topko Canal and massive plantation drives, undertaken in the recent days," the post read.
Wangchuk on Talks with Centre
On May 23, Wangchuk shared that Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) reached an In-Principle Understanding with the Centre on restoring democracy in Ladakh and providing constitutional safeguards on the lines of Article 371 A, F, and G, as applied to Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram.
He said that they reached a "broad consensus" with the Centre to have a "tailor-made legislative body that will have executive, financial and law-making powers and have safeguards under Article 371 of the Constitution. The elected leader of the legislative body will have overall control over the Chief Secretary and the rest of bureaucracy." As per his statement, Ladakh will be accorded full statehood when it has enough revenue of its own to support the operational expenses, including salaries and pensions of government employees.
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