Ladakh unrest: Govt reaffirms openness to talks as KDA demands apology, probe into clashes

The government has always been open for dialogues on Ladakh matters with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) at any time. "We would continue to welcome the discussion with ABL and KDA through the HPC on Ladakh or any such platform," an official statement said.

The dialogue mechanism established with Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh has yielded good results till date in the form of increased reservations to the Scheduled Tribes of Ladakh, providing women reservation in LAHDCs and protection to local languages. The process of recruitment for 1800 posts in government has already commenced in UT of Ladakh. 

"We are confident that continuous dialogue would yield the desired results in near future," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) announced that it would boycott the upcoming talks with the Centre, demanding an impartial judicial probe into the security forces’ firing on September 24, which resulted in four deaths and around 90 injuries. The LAB also sought a formal apology from the Government for characterizing Ladakhi protestors as “anti‑national” and accusing them of “playing in Pakistan’s hands.” 

Alongside LAB, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) reiterated similar demands. KDA has warned that the continued failure to address core issues — such as statehood and constitutional safeguards — is “alienating” the people of Ladakh. The Alliance has also called for the immediate and unconditional release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and other detained youth leaders. They have demanded accountability for the use of force and demanded an impartial inquiry into the protests. 

At a press conference held in Delhi, the KDA strongly pushed back against allegations linking Wangchuk to Pakistan or inciting violence. They called such accusations “baseless” and argued that no credible evidence has been presented. In their view, the labelling of protestors as anti‑national was particularly inflammatory and damaging, and they insist that before talks resume, the Government must publicly retract such characterizations and issue a formal apology. 

Meanwhile, the government has reaffirmed that it remains open to dialogue at any time, through the HPC or other platforms, and that it will not withhold engagement even if certain parties withdraw from talks temporarily.