With the temperature dipping to freezing point in Ladakh, a social media campaign has begun in the cold desert criticising the Modi government for not implementing its commitment of granting Union Territory (UT) status to the region.

Residents of the frontier region confined indoors due to the intense cold wave sweeping there are using social media to slam Union minister Nitin Gadkari for having made the “false promise” of getting UT status for Ladakh after the Modi government came to power at the Centre.

Gadkari, while addressing a rally in Leh during the Lok Sabha campaign on 4 May 2014, had reportedly said the demand for UT status to Ladakh was a “dream project” of the BJP that fully supports the demand and would accord UT status to Ladakh when it comes to power at the Centre after the general election.

A recorded message of Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate, was played at the rally calling upon the people of Ladakh to become the part of a strong government at the Centre, which was committed to remove “discrimination and injustice” meted out to the hilly region by  successive state governments.

For the first time a BJP candidate, Chhewang Thuptsan, won the Lok Sabha election from Ladakh. However, the Ladakhis are now getting restive as their longstanding demand has not been fulfilled so far. They complain of discrimination with Ladakh by successive Kashmir centric governments in the state.

A Ladakhi, Tashi Wangail said on social media; “I am a common citizen of Ladakh, I would like to ask honble prime minister. Nitin Gadkari senior leader of your party made promise to the public in his speech from our historic polo ground it was just false promise”.

Another resident of Ladakh, Tsewang Rigzin wrote on his wall; “Promised UT for Ladakh; Reluctant to allot Ladakh Affairs department to a Ladakhi! Congratulations to Ka Chering Dorje Lakrook for getting a cabinet berth. It is, however, disappointing to see that like the previous coalition governments we have seen in the last 13 +years, PDP-BJP coalition led by Mehbooba also chose not to allot Ladakh Affairs to the Ladakhi Minister. Ka Chering gets only the Cooperatives as his portfolio. BJP had promised to grant UT for Ladakh but when it comes to action they are not comfortable having a Ladakhi to look after the Ladakh Affairs!! Aren’t we taken for a ride by Kashmir and Jammu centric politicians?”

About 40 delegations, including representatives of political parties, religious, social, cultural organisations, trade and tourism professionals and social activists, that met Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to Leh in October last year unanimously demanded that Ladakh should be given UT status.

The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), which is the umbrella organisation, has been spearheading the demand for UT status. LBA president Tsewang Thinles recently organised a massive rally in support of the UT demand in which monks, government employees, women and people from all five regions of Ladakh, including Sham, Changthang, Nubra, Zanskar and Leh participated. The protestors carried placards with slogans; “we want UT, Free Ladakh from Kashmir”.

The Congress MLA of Ladakh, Rigzin Jora, said the BJP has taken the people of Ladakh for a ride by making the “false promise” of granting UT status.

Ladakhis since long have been demanding “freedom” from Kashmir and after a prolonged agitation in 1989 were granted a Hill Development Council on the lines of Darjeeling on the intervention of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and a tripartite agreement signed in the presence of the then Home Minister Buta Singh by the LBA and ministers Mangat Ram Sharma of Congress and Mohammad Shaffi Uri of the National Conference. The Council was subsequently further empowered by successive governments.