The Congress on Friday criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what it termed his silence on key demands of the people of Ladakh during his recent visit, accusing him of focusing on the display of sacred Buddhist relics while overlooking pressing local concerns.
In a statement, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Home Minister was “basking in the glory” of the Piprahwa relics without addressing longstanding aspirations for statehood, Sixth Schedule status, and safeguards for land and employment. “The HM is in Ladakh today basking in the glory of the Piprahwa relics, while remaining silent on the demands of the people there,” Ramesh said, adding that the Minister appeared unaware of similar historical episodes linked to the region.
Invoking history, Ramesh referred to developments in the late 1940s under India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He noted that on January 14, 1949, relics of the Buddha’s chief disciples—Sariputta and Maha Moggallana—were brought back to India from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, where they had been housed after being taken by the British from the Sanchi Stupa in the 19th century.
According to Ramesh, Nehru received the relics and handed them over to the Mahabodhi Society of India in Kolkata before later ensuring their connection with Ladakh. He recalled that during a four-day visit to Ladakh in July 1949, shortly after the passage of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, Nehru was approached by Buddhist leader Kushok Bakula Rinpoche with a request to bring the relics to the region.
“A year later in May 1950 this materialised, and the relics were taken around Ladakh for 79 days,” Ramesh said, adding that they were eventually enshrined in locations including Yangon, Colombo and Sanchi.
The remarks come amid renewed political attention on Ladakh’s administrative and constitutional status following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. Various local groups and civil society organisations have since been demanding greater protections and representation, including inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides safeguards for tribal areas.
Ramesh’s statement reflects the Congress party’s effort to contrast historical engagement with present-day governance, while amplifying calls from Ladakh-based stakeholders seeking institutional guarantees for their cultural and economic interests.