Srinagar: The Leh Apex Body (LAB) has accused a newly formed group, Citizens Forum, of creating divisions among the people of Ladakh after the group criticised its handling of talks with the Union Home Ministry. The row comes amid continuing efforts to secure constitutional safeguards and democratic rights for the Union Territory (UT) that was founded in August 2019 when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government bifurcated the full-fledged state of Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs.Led by former MP Thupstan Chewang, the new group on Thursday (October 22) alleged that LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) had adapted delaying tactics despite several rounds of talks. The Citizens Forum claimed that the two bodies negotiating with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had tried to sabotage the negotiations with New Delhi.In response to these allegations, LAB chairman Chering Dorjay Lakrook released a set documents exchanged between Ladakh’s representatives and the MHA. He said the documents would help people to assess the progress of the talks and understand the hurdles that has halted the process.“Amid growing speculation, allegations, and attempts to misrepresent the position of the Apex Body Leh (ABL), particularly following the recent remarks attributed to chief secretary Shri Ashish Kundra ji and the meeting convened by the Citizen Forum of Ladakh, headed by Shri Thupstan Chewang, I consider it my responsibility, on behalf of the Apex Body Leh, to place before the people of Ladakh the relevant documents and drafts exchanged between the ABL and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA),” reads the letter issued by Chering Dorjay Lakrook, chairman, Leh Apex Body..In a letter addressed to the people of Ladakh, Lakrook said LAB had decided to make the records public because the office of the chief secretary and the MHA had not done so. He said transparency was essential when the region’s constitutional and political future was at stake.‘Our people deserve facts, not rumours’“Transparency is essential when the constitutional and political future of Ladakh is at stake. Our people deserve facts, not rumours or selective interpretations. Accordingly, the following documents are being made available for public information and independent assessment,” Lakrook wrote.The documents released by LAB include the minutes of the fifth meeting of the sub-committee of the MHA’s high-powered committee on Ladakh, held on May 22, 2026, and a draft presentation titled “Moving Towards Consensus”, shared by the ministry on September 9, 2026.“We expected the office of the chief secretary and the MHA to make these documents publicly available for wider consultation and informed discussion. However, as this has not happened, whether deliberately or otherwise, LAB has taken the initiative to place the documentary record in the public domain,” reads the letter.According to Lakrook, page 10 of the presentation outlined the indicative powers of a proposed Union Territory-level body.These included legislative, executive and financial powers under Article 240 of the Constitution. He said the sub-committee members had categorically rejected the proposals.“Moving Towards Consensus’ – dated 9 September 2026. This draft was shared by the MHA with the sub-committee members in the form of a powerpoint presentation. Page 10 outlined the indicative powers of a proposed UT-level body, including legislative, executive, and financial powers under Article 240 of the constitution of India. These proposals were categorically rejected by the sub-committee members. Page 11 contained seven questions and points raised by the MHA for discussion and response in the subsequent meeting.”Lakrook also said he had spoken to the chief secretary by telephone on the morning of October 20. He informed him about the email containing LAB’s response and sought confirmation of a meeting scheduled for October 22 to discuss the issues in detail.“On the morning of 20 October, I personally spoke to the chief secretary over the telephone, informed him about the email, and sought confirmation of the meeting scheduled for 22 October 2026 so that the issues could be discussed comprehensively and directly,” Lakrook wrote in the letter.Competing claims over the progress of negotiationsThe release of the documents comes amid competing claims over the progress of negotiations between Ladakh’s political representatives and the Centre. LAB has maintained that it is pursuing a solution that secures meaningful constitutional safeguards and democratic rights for the region.“Our firm stand on protecting the interests of our people must not be misconstrued as confrontation,” Lakrook said, adding that seeking a just and lasting solution was the body’s responsibility.In the letter, he urged people to examine the documents, compare the proposals and assess the commitments made during the negotiations. Public discussion, he said, should be guided by facts and transparency rather than speculation, particularly at a time when Ladakh’s political future remains under discussion.“I urge everyone to examine the documents, understand the differences between the proposals, and assess the progress made, the commitments recorded, and the issues that remain unresolved. At this critical juncture, public discussion must be guided by facts, transparency, and the larger interests of Ladakh rather than speculation”.