Congress Slams BJP Over Unfulfilled Sixth Schedule Promise, Says Ladakh Awaits ‘Healing Touch’
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday criticised the BJP for failing to fulfil its promise of granting Sixth Schedule protection to Ladakh, saying the region “desperately awaits a healing touch” from the nation and the leadership that once pledged to safeguard its rights.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh made the remarks ahead of Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa’s visit to India, drawing attention to the historical ties between India and Mongolia and Ladakh’s pivotal role in that relationship.
Ramesh recalled the contribution of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche — a revered Ladakhi Buddhist monk and statesman who served as India’s Ambassador to Mongolia for a decade. He noted that Bakula Rinpoche played a key role in helping Mongolia rediscover its Buddhist heritage after the fall of communism in 1990.
“Diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia date back to December 1955. India also played a major role in Mongolia joining the UN in 1961. The turning point came when then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi appointed the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche as Ambassador to Mongolia in 1989,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
He further highlighted that in 2005, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh renamed Leh Airport after Bakula Rinpoche, describing him as the “architect of modern Ladakh.”
Ramesh said, “The 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche’s Ladakh now desperately awaits a healing touch from the nation, and especially from the leadership of a party that promised Sixth Schedule constitutional protection in its 2020 hill council election manifesto but, as the ruling party, now refuses to fulfil that promise.”
His remarks come amid continuing unrest in Leh, which witnessed violent protests on September 24 led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards. The agitation led to multiple casualties and the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders.
Meanwhile, Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa began his four-day visit to India on Monday to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy, mining, and defence. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation including cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials, and business leaders, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
During the visit, Khurelsukh will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations. President Droupadi Murmu will also meet the visiting leader and host a banquet in his honour.
India and Mongolia share a multifaceted partnership spanning defence, security, energy, information technology, education, healthcare, and cultural cooperation.
