National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah adressing press conference in Srinagar, on September 25, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Imran Nissar
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday asked the Centre to “end use of force and intimidation against protesters in Ladakh and resume dialogue on their demands”. “Turmoil in Leh was a direct consequence of unaddressed long-standing grievances. There was an indifferent response to environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and walk from Leh to Delhi. For five years, he has been silently protesting. When nothing came out of peaceful protests, the youth lost patience,” Dr. Abdullah said.Leh violence LIVEDescribing Ladakh as a sensitive region from the security point of view, Dr. Abdullah said, “Violent incidents happening in a border State is dangerous, especially when China is always trying to destabilise the country.”He asked the Centre to shun the approach of force and intimidation and “resume dialogue”. “The Ladakh agitation is entirely indigenous. This is the voice of the locals. They have been driven by neglect and disappointment,” he added.He also drew the attention of the Centre to Jammu and Kashmir, saying “the government should learn a lesson from violence in Ladakh”. “The Centre had promised Jammu and Kashmir Statehood after delimitation and elections. But the promises remain unfulfilled. They should learn from Ladakh,” Dr. Abdullah said.He said time had come “to settle the matter through sincerity and swift decisions rather than empty assurances in Ladakh.”‘Wrong policies’Former Chief Minister Ms. Mufti also questioned the approach of the Centre towards Ladakh. “Unrest in Ladakh stems from the fears that land, identity, jobs and culture are under threat. The government must address these apprehensions through concrete actions, not empty promises,” she said.Blaming the Centre’s “wrong policies” for violence in Ladakh, Ms. Mufti said, “People of Ladakh welcomed the union territory status in 2019 and were expecting more rights. Instead, the promises were broken. What happened in Jammu and Kashmir is now repeating in Ladakh”.Ms. Mufti said anger in Ladakh was an outcome of “frustration over growing unemployment, insecurity over land, and unfulfilled promises”. She said the attempt to blame the current crisis on leaders like Sonam Wangchuk or the Congress was a bid to “find a scapegoat”. “The Centre needs to show wisdom and not such tactics,” she added. Published - September 25, 2025 03:34 pm IST
