Srinagar, March 16: Hundreds of people participated in a rally in the Leh town of the Ladakh union territory on Monday, as Kargil town observed a shutdown in response to a call by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) to support their demands for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.
Following violent protests in Leh town last September, Monday's rally was the first major one organized by LAB.
Notably, the rally was held two days after Sonam Wangchuk, a Ladakhi climate activist, was released after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoked his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
DGP Ladakh, Mukesh Singh, visited the rally site at Singay Namgyal Chowk in Leh to assess the security arrangements, with additional police and security personnel deployed across the town to maintain law and order.
Led by LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay, the protesters started from Singay Namgyal Chowk and marched to the Leh polo ground, with participants, including a significant number of women, chanting slogans in support of statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.
Some of the participants were carrying pictures of the four people who were killed during the violent aftermath of a LAB-sponsored protest rally in September last year.
Meanwhile, Kargil and the adjoining town of Drass observed a complete shutdown in response to the joint call by LAB and KDA, the two groups spearheading the agitation over the issues of statehood and the Sixth Schedule over the past five years.
No untoward incidents were reported.
Speaking to reporters in Leh, Chering Dorjay thanked the people for participating in the rally despite the barricading of roads and the imposition of restrictions by the administration.
"I would like to congratulate the people of Ladakh for maintaining complete peace despite strong provocation," the LAB leader said, terming the rally a "big success".
He said that some people try to claim that the Apex Body has no public support. "Today, the people of Ladakh have demonstrated that the public stands with the Apex Body and the KDA," he said.