The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has firmly refused to participate in any talks with the central government regarding the ongoing Ladakh protests. The alliance stated that it will not engage in discussions until all charges against activist Sonam Wangchuk are completely withdrawn.

KDA co-chairman Asgar Karbalai reiterated their uncompromising stance, urging the Centre to respond immediately to their demands. The alliance has also called for a judicial inquiry into the recent firing incident in Ladakh, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. Apart from this, the KDA has demanded the unconditional release of all individuals who were arrested during the protests.

The Apex Body Leh (ABL) has also walked away from talks with the central government. On Monday, the group officially announced that it will not take part in any discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs' High-Powered Committee (HPC) unless peace and normalcy are completely restored in Ladakh. 

They made it clear that dialogue cannot happen when people are being arrested and the situation on the ground remains tense. Addressing the media, ABL Chairman Thupstan Chhewang said that when Ladakh was granted Union Territory status, people had high hopes. They believed that UT status would protect their land, identity, jobs, and culture.

However, he said that the removal of Article 370 and the creation of the UT without any constitutional safeguards had instead left the people more vulnerable. Earlier, they had certain protections over land and employment, but now even those have disappeared.

Chhewang said that the people did not want to protest, but they were forced to come out on the streets to demand their basic rights. He added that the central government made many promises verbally, but none of those assurances turned into real action.

Their four main demands, statehood for Ladakh, constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, a separate Public Service Commission, and two parliamentary seats, have remained unchanged from the beginning, yet no concrete steps have been taken.

The recent violence in Ladakh has deeply upset the local groups. The Apex Body said that four people lost their lives after security forces allegedly used too much force. They expressed sadness over the incident and said they cannot continue any talks with the government until peace is fully restored.

They were supposed to meet officials from the Home Ministry, but they have now cancelled the meeting. The Apex Body has asked the government to immediately calm the situation and address the concerns of the people.
In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the government is always ready for discussions with both Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).

The Ministry added that earlier talks through the High-Powered Committee (HPC) had already brought positive results, such as more reservations for Scheduled Tribes, reservations for women in local councils, and protection of local languages. Recruitment for 1,800 government jobs in Ladakh has also started. The government said it believes that continued dialogue will help solve the issues soon.