Leh (Ladakh) [India], September 24 : Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta said that the protest in Leh "smells of conspiracy" due to "attempts to incite people" and its comparison to protests in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Speaking with ANI, Gupta condemned the protest, suggesting that it should be held in a peaceful manner.
"In a democratic system, protesting is a right. However, it must be done in a peaceful manner. For the past two days, attempts have been made to incite people, and the protest held here was compared to those held in Bangladesh and Nepal. This smells of a conspiracy behind the protest," he said.
Kavinder Gupta highlighted the implications of the protest if the authorities hadn't taken action to stop the protest.
"When police were deployed to control the law and order situation, a CRPF vehicle was torched. During the protest, DG's vehicle was attacked with stones. If this protest had not been stopped, then these people (protestors) would have ruined the entire city of Leh," he said.
The Ladakh LG further informed that a probe will be held regarding the involvement of people in the protest.
"A probe will be conducted to determine the involvement of individuals from outside Ladakh in the protest. Who is responsible for the people who have died today? It is those people who incited the protest. Such things cannot be tolerated...I want to ensure peace is maintained in Ladakh," he said.
This comes after a massive protest by the people of Ladakh turned violent as the demonstrators targeted government buildings and the BJP office in Leh.
People of Ladakh have been demanding the inclusion of the Union Territory in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution contains Article 244(2) and 275(1), which reads, "Provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram."
Meanwhile, there has been a demand for statehood for Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.