Leh, Sep 1 (PTI) Hardening its stand, Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Monday asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to place their demand for statehood and the extension of the sixth schedule for Ladakh as the principal agenda in the next meeting.
The demand was included in a resolution adopted by the two powerful bodies at a joint meeting here.
The resolution also threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands were ignored and any attempt was made to suppress them by "witch hunting".
LAB and KDA have been holding talks with the Centre over their four-point agenda — statehood, Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, a dedicated Public Service Commission (PSC) and two parliamentary seats. The two outfits have been spearheading an agitation over the past four years in support of their demands.
"The leadership of LAB and KDA held a joint meeting and unanimously passed a resolution which we are forwarding to the MHA. The resolution asks MHA to place statehood and constitutional safeguards under sixth schedule as the principal agenda in the forthcoming meeting with the two bodies," co-chairman of KDA Asgar Ali Karbalai, flanked by co-chairman of LAB Chering Dorjay and other members of the two bodies, told reports here.
The last meeting between the MHA and the joint delegation of LAB and KDA was held on May 27. The two bodies organised a massive protest in Kargil on August 11 at the conclusion of the three-day chain hunger strike against the delay by the Centre in taking forward the dialogue process.