Akhilesh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party, accused the BJP on Thursday of being responsible for the violent protests in Ladakh. He claimed that the ruling party’s failure to fulfill its promises regarding statehood and the restoration of powers to the region has incited public anger. Yadav stated, “The BJP had assured the leaders, council members, and representatives of Ladakh that statehood and powers would be restored. Profiteering is not the only form of corruption; breaking promises is also corruption. The breach of promise by the BJP is the reason their office was set ablaze.” He highlighted that video recordings and speeches provide clear evidence of the assurances made by the BJP to the people of Ladakh.
Emphasizing the sensitivity of Ladakh as a border state, he argued that the government should have addressed the demands of its citizens to foster peace and prosperity in the area. Yadav pointed out, “This is the same state where Chinese troops intruded only a few days ago. To secure such borders, the government must listen to the demands of border states and allocate more budget for their development.” The region experienced severe violence on Wednesday, with groups of youths engaging in arson and vandalism, targeting the BJP headquarters and the Hill Council office, as well as setting vehicles on fire. Police and paramilitary forces resorted to using teargas shells to control the situation, according to officials.