Brig B D Mishra appointed new Lt Governor of Ladakh

BD Mishra was today appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. The President has accepted the resignation of incumbent Radha Krishna Mathur, who left his office yesterday. The move comes at a time when people of Ladakh are protesting in support of their demand for statehood.

Srinagar:President Draupadi Murmu on Sunday appointed Brig (Dr) B.D. Mishra, ex-brigadier and Governor of Arunachal Pradesh as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Union Territory. Present Lt Governor Radha Krishna Mathur, who was appointed in October 2019, resigned on Saturday before completion of his tenure.

The President’s Secretariat, in a communique issued this morning, announced appointment of Mishra as the new LG of Ladakh by replacing Mathur. The communique also said that the President has accepted Mathur's resignation. The move comes amidst protests over demand for statehood. For the last three years, people of Ladakh have been protesting in support of their demand for statehood to Ladakh and constitutional safeguards under the sixth schedule of the Constitution of India for the UT.

Mishra, a former army Brigadier, has served in the Sino-Indian war, 1971 Liberation war and the Indo-Pakistan 1965 war. The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, the two groups representing Leh and Kargil districts have been protesting together for statehood. Last year, in December, the BJP government had formed a high-level committee headed by minister of state for Home Nityanand Rai to look into the demands of Ladakh but the statehood and sixth schedule were not included in the committee's agenda.

Part of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh was declared a separate Union Territory when Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two UTs on August 5, 2019 by the BJP government.