Centre should hold talks with the people of Ladakh: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said the Centre should hold talks with the people of Ladakh to address their aspirations, a day after Leh witnessed violence over statehood demands.

"I want to tell the government that it (Ladakh) is a border state. China is lurking, they have occupied land. It is time to resolve it quickly. The government should hold talks and resolve it," Abdullah told reporters here

Asked about the government blaming climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for the violence, the former chief minister said the peace activist was not responsible for it.


"He (Wangchuk) has never left the Gandhian way. The youth have sidelined him today. He is not responsible for it. When they (BJP) lost elections, they imposed safety law and put people in jails. Now they are using CBI. More they use force to suppress, the bigger the danger. I want to tell the government of India not to use force and instead hold dialogue," he added.

Four people were killed and at least 80 injured in day-long clashes on Wednesday during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which is backing an agitation demanding statehood for Ladakh.