JKNT

Srinagar, October 4  In its desperate  bid to  distance itself  from any move at seeking or granting the Union Territory status  to Ladakh , the most neglected and backward region , the  ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled  its leader and  district president of Leh unit of the party Tashi Gayalson, from the basic membership of the party.

This development has come a day after Tashi Gayalson  signed a joint memorandum with leaders of other parties and communities , seeking  the UT status  for Ladakh region . The memorandum was submitted  on behalf of the people of Ladakh to the visiting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Leh on  Monday.

In a statement, party spokesman said the head of the party’s disciplinary committee, “Abdul Rehman Veeri took the decision against Gayalson for violating the party’s whip.”

“Mr Gayalson signed the memorandum demanding union territory status for Ladakh which is against the policies of the PDP. That is why he has been expelled,” Mr Veeri said.

The spokesman said , “ the PDP believes in unity of the state  and  any move which aims at dividing it on regional and  religious lines would only be an unfortunate development, and the party under no circumstances can endorse any such divisive move.”

 

“People of different faiths, ethnicity and languages live cordially in J&K since ages. PDP believes of taking everyone together to find a lasting solution to our problems,” he said and added it was with this aim that the party took a bold  and historic decision of forming a  government with the  BJP,” the unnamed spokesman said.

The spokesman said “the people here are still suffering the fallout of partition any further division of the state will only add to the problems of the state and region.”