The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused that the recent protests in Ladakh reflect the growing frustration of the youth against BJP’s politics of unfulfilled promises. It alleged that commitments made during elections were not implemented and genuine public demands were ignored, forcing the youth to take to the streets.
AAP Zonal Coordinator of AP, Nethi Maheshwara Rao said that just as Gen Z–driven digital movements have spread across countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, a similar wave of unrest is now visible in Ladakh. He said that the BJP had claimed that abrogating Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir would bring peace and stability. But, he deplored that the incidents in Ladakh have exposed how hollow those claims were.
He said that Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Sonam Wangchuk and other local activists have been demanding special statehood for Ladakh, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, employment opportunities for local youth, and environmentally sustainable development instead of corporate exploitation.
Despite these reasonable demands, he lamented that the central government remained unresponsive, pushing activists into hunger strikes. When peaceful protests were even denied permission in Delhi, he said that the youth’s frustration turned into unrest.
Maheshwara Rao cautioned that attacks on BJP offices and incidents like the burning of police vehicles are a serious warning for the government. They clearly show that people will no longer tolerate being misled with empty promises, he said.
Even in this sensitive situation, he wondered if the BJP continues to repeat the same rhetoric used during the farmers’ agitation against the black laws in Punjab—accusing the opposition of supporting anti-social forces. This only exposes the immaturity of the BJP’s political approach, even on matters of national security, he added.
According to AAP, the Key Demands of the Ladakh People: Grant Ladakh special statehood and increase democratic representation, include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, stop handing over mineral wealth to corporate interests, provide employment opportunities to local youth and promote tourism in ways that safeguard the environment.
Maheshwara Rao urged the Central Government to treat these legitimate demands of the Ladakh people with utmost seriousness and to immediately work towards sustainable solutions in the interest of national security.
