Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to create five new districts in the union territory of Ladakh.

Taking to social media platform X, Amit Shah said the creation of new districts will take the benefits meant for the people to their doorsteps by bolstering governance in every nook and cranny. The Union Home Minister also attributed the decision to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to build a developed and prosperous Ladakh. Namely, these districts are Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang.

In the post, Amit Shah wrote that in pursuit of Narendra Modi’s vision to build a developed and prosperous Ladakh, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to create five new districts in the union territory. He added that the Modi government is committed to creating abundant opportunities for the people of Ladakh. He attributed the decision to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to build a developed and prosperous Ladakh.

At present, Ladakh has only two districts: Leh and Kargil. Both these districts have their autonomous district councils which govern them. Following the creation of the aforesaid new districts, Ladakh will have seven districts in total.

Until 2019, Ladakh was a part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Nonetheless, the BJP-led Central government in 2019 revoked the special status accorded to the state. The Centre also divided the state into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 

Ladakh is strategically very important in view of the recent Chinese aggression in the eastern part of the region, and is one of the most famous India tourist spots in the world.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is preparing for its first elections since the abrogation of Article 370. Elections will occur in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of the votes will take place on October 4. The Union Territory held its last election in 2014.

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Sunday said he was thankful to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for noticing his party’s election manifesto.

People who were not ready to read it, have now been compelled to go through it now, Abdullah added.

“I am thankful to the home minister from the core of my heart for talking about our manifesto. For a small party, contesting an election in a far-flung area of the country, it is a huge thing that the country’s home minister has seen our manifesto,” Abdullah told reporters here after a party function.

Shah on Friday slammed the Congress for its alliance with the NC for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, accusing the party of repeatedly risking the country’s unity and security in its “greed for power”.

The Congress has once again “exposed its ulterior motives by allying with the Abdullah family’s National Conference,” the BJP leader said on X and posted 10 questions for the national party and its leader Rahul Gandhi, while listing several of the manifesto promises of the NC.

However, Abdullah said he was thankful to Shah for taking notice of the NC’s manifesto, saying, “He forced those people who till now were not ready to read our manifesto.” “It is regretful that the Home “Minister saw only one paragraph in our manifesto and he also talked about certain things which are not in our manifesto like name-changing. I re-read our manifesto after the home minister’s tweet to check whether I missed it, but it does not talk about that. But, still I am thankful to the home minister,” he added.

“Does the Congress want ‘Shankaracharya Hill’ to be known as ‘Takht-e-Suleiman’, and ‘Hari Hill’ as ‘Koh-e-Maran?” Shah had asked.

To a question about the reports of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leaders mulling to contest the polls independently, Abdullah said it was a welcome step.

“This is the beauty of democracy. I read in the media that JeI wanted the ban on it to be revoked so that they contest the polls. Unfortunately, the election bugle was sounded and the ban could not be revoked.

“Today, there are reports that they will contest as independent candidates. Bismillah. We wanted them to contest on their own symbol in JeI’s name, but let them contest even as independents. Let them plunge into the field, bring their manifesto and their promises. Then it is up to the people to decide whom they would like to vote,” Abdullah added.

Abdullah, who represented the constituency in the erstwhile Assembly from 2009-14 when he was the chief minister, will contest the upcoming J&K election from Ganderbal seat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that his government has done more for women in the last 10 years than any other government did as much work for women in the country since independence.

Addressing a gathering at Lakhpati Didi Sammelan in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon, PM Modi said that Modi government took decisions in favour of women one after the other. Along with empowering the women, it is also the country’s priority to ensure women’s safety, he emphasised.

Understanding the anger across states, PM Modi appealed to all the state governments to not tolerate crime against women. Anybody who commits such crimes should face strict punishment, he asserted.

He reiterated that the government will work on making three crore women ‘Lakhpati Didi’ and those who also work in self-help groups. “In the last 10 years, one crore sisters became ‘Lakhpati Didi’ and in the last one month, 11 lakh more sisters also became ‘Lakhpati Didi'”, PM Modi said.

During his address in Jalgaon, he expressed his deepest pain over the Nepal bus tragedy. “We lost many of our friends from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon”, he said.

PM Modi said that the government immediately spoke to Nepal and has been able to bring back the bodies. “Those who are injured are also being treated. I want to assure you all that the victims of this tragedy will be helped in everyway possible by the state and central government”, he added.

Speaking at the Sammelan, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it was Modi ji’s resolution to ensure that no woman is helpless and every sister is happy. PM Modi fulfilled his promise of making 11 lakh women ‘Lakhpati didi’ in 100 days. “I have full faith that with the blessings of PM, 3 crore sister will become ‘Lakhpati didi’,” he added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, present at Lakhpati Didi Sammelan, welcomed PM Narendra Modi, who has been the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term, on behalf of all the people of Maharashtra.