Gupta takes oath as Ladakh L-G, promises inclusive development

Pointing towards the discrimination with Ladakh in the past, former Deputy Chief Minister of J&K Kavinder Gupta who took oath as the new Lieutenant Governor of the UT on Friday pledged inclusive development of all regions and communities.

He was administered the oath by the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, Justice Arun Palli, at a vibrant function at the L-G Secretariat attended by people from all walks of life. The L-G took the oath in the presence of his family members. Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal read the warrant of Gupta’s appointment by President Droupadi Murmu.

While talking to the media, the newly sworn L-G said, “We will take Ladakh to that level where it will be recognised as the world’s premier tourist destination and people from across the globe will come here.”

Highlighting the discrimination faced by Ladakh in the past, Gupta said, “There is a lot to be done in the region. The UT witnessed discrimination in the past and there is no doubt about it. We will rise above the communal, caste and party politics and work to rebuild the region.”

After taking oath, Kavinder Gupta was presented a guard of honour by the Ladakh Police.

Gupta is an old hand in politics and remained loyal to the BJP since a young age. He is a former Deputy Chief Minister and former Speaker of J&K Assembly.

Hailing from Jammu city’s Janipur area, the 66-year-old senior BJP leader has also served as Jammu Mayor for a record three consecutive terms from 2005 to 2010. He also served as general secretary of the BJP’s state unit and headed the J&K unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) for two consecutive terms from 1993 to 1998.

Member of Parliament from Ladakh, Mohammad Haneefa, said that the new L-G understands Ladakh as well as culture and environment of the region. “We hope that he will take our region forward. The former L-G was people friendly and I believe that the new L-G who is from a political background will also take measures for benefit of locals. Gupta knows what a democratic setup means. We believe he will listen, understand and act in the interest of the people of the UT.”

Kavinder Gupta succeeds Brigadier BD Mishra (retd), who took over the reins as the L-G of Ladakh on February 19, 2023. Mishra had succeeded RK Mathur, appointed as the first L-G of Ladakh in 2019, after the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was split into two UTs.

Interestingly, Gupta is the first politician to become L-G of the sensitive UT that shares the LoC with Pakistan and LAC with China. While RK Mathur was a former IAS, Mishra was from military background. Interestingly, no L-G of the UT has completed his complete term of five years since the region became a UT in 2019. Both Mathur and Mishra quit the office mid-term.

Insiders say that with his political acumen, Gupta is expected to address the ongoing unrest over the demand of Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and statehood for Ladakh, being led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).