sixth Schedule: Ladakh asks for statehood

By Express News Service

GUWAHATI:  A day after Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured former MP and Leh Apex Body (LAB) chairman Thupstan Chhewang of sixth Schedule-like standing for Ladakh, LAB on Friday reiterated its demand for granting of statehood with sixth Schedule standing.  

LAB member Chering Dorje stated they gained’t settle for something lower than granting of statehood with sixth Schedule standing for the union territory.

LAB includes political, spiritual and social teams of Ladakh, besides the BJP . “We are demanding 6th Schedule status and not 6th Schedule-like status to protect our land and job rights,” Dorje stated, including that there was no breakthrough within the assembly  between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chhewang in New Delhi.

“When Sikkim got statehood, its population was 2.50 lakh, while ours is over 3 lakh,” Kargil Democratic Alliance co chairman Asgar Karbalai stated. “Ladakh has 80,000 sq km area while Sikkim has about 7000 sq km area.”