New Delhi- Amid the intensified agitation by Ladakhi people demanding statehood and special status under the sixth schedule of the constitution, the Centre today appointed a new Lieutenant Governor for the union territory of Ladakh.
A communication from the President of India’s office said that Brig. (Retd.) B.D. Mishra, the current governor of Arunachal Pradesh, has been appointed as L-G Ladakh. It added that the resignation of Radha Krishna Mathur has been accepted.
The move comes amid agitation by civil society groups in Ladakh- the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) that have been demanding constitutional safeguards for the newly carved out Union Territory out of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The two powerful bodies have announced a protest in Delhi on February 15.
Mr. Mathur, a 1977-batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was appointed as Ladakh’s first L-G in 2019 after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated and the former State was divided into two Union Territories- J&K and Ladakh, the latter without a legislative assembly.
It’s unclear if Mathur was asked to resign by the Centre, or he has chosen to leave amid ongoing agitation by the Ladakhi people.
During his over three-year-long tenure as Lt Governor 69-year-old Mathur spent more time in Delhi than in Leh, according to a report by the NDTV.
On 27 January, leafing Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk posted a video on Twitter accusing Lieutenant Governor Mathur of sowing seeds of militancy in the region.
“LG Sahib is dar pai toh mai kahunga ki aap bohat mehanat kar rehay hai Ladakh jaisi shant shetr mai be militancy ka beach boney kay liye…jis tara aapne nowjawano ko beroazgar rakha hai.. (LG sahib I must tell you that you are working hard to sow the seeds of militancy in an otherwise relatively calm region. The way you are keeping the youth unemployed…)” Wangchuk said in the video.
According to the report, LG Mathur quietly left his office in Leh after saying goodbye to his staff on Saturday.
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