Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday alleged that crucial points relating to the primacy of elected representatives over the bureaucracy were omitted from the draft minutes of a recent meeting between the Ladakh alliance group and the Centre, days after he described the talks as a "positive step" towards resolving the Union Territory's long-pending issues.

Wangchuk said the omissions risked undermining the atmosphere of trust that had emerged during the discussions and urged the government to ensure that the final minutes accurately reflect the understandings reached at the meeting.

Ladakh chief secretary Ashish Kundra, however, sought to allay concerns, saying no official minutes had yet been issued and that the document in question was only a draft circulated among stakeholders to facilitate discussion. He said any omissions could be flagged and conveyed to the Centre.

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) convened a meeting of the sub-committee for political dialogue with representatives of agitating Ladakh groups on May 22.

The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have been jointly engaged in dialogue with the Centre since 2021 over their key demands, including statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Speaking to reporters, Wangchuk said the discussions had focused on greater democratic empowerment for Ladakh, including the creation of a legislative assembly with legislative, executive and financial powers.

"Our perspective is that the entire Ladakh region should have a legislative assembly with powers relating to legislation, administration and financial decision-making," he said.

According to Wangchuk, there was also an understanding that the bureaucracy, including the chief secretary, would function under the authority of elected representatives.

He said a draft of the meeting record was subsequently shown to the Ladakh representatives for review.

"The draft minutes of that meeting were shown to us by the government with the suggestion that we review them and indicate if anything needed to be added or deleted," he said.

Wangchuk alleged that while the draft referred to legislative and executive powers, it omitted what he described as a key outcome of the talks — the primacy of elected representatives over the administrative machinery.

He claimed that the omission was flagged by representatives of the Ladakh groups, and that the draft was taken back for revision. However, when a revised version was later presented for signatures, the provision remained absent. He further alleged that participants were not immediately provided a copy of the revised draft and were not allowed to photograph the document.

"It created an impression that the minutes might not accurately reflect what had transpired during the meeting," he said.

Wangchuk said several participants invited by the government, including BJP leader and Kargil Hill Council Chairman Thupstan Chhewang, had publicly indicated after the meeting that elected representatives would exercise effective control over governance and the bureaucracy, which reflected the understanding reached during the discussions.

To preserve what they considered an accurate account of the proceedings, representatives of the Leh Apex Body and the KDA prepared an independent record of the meeting based on complete recordings of the discussions, he said.

"We hope the minutes are issued exactly as the discussions took place and that the process moves forward in a constructive spirit," Wangchuk said.

He added that the Ladakh groups would be compelled to register their protest and explore democratic and legal options if the final record did not accurately reflect the outcome of the talks.

At a separate press conference, Kundra described the meeting as a breakthrough and said the Centre had asked Ladakh representatives to prepare and submit a document outlining their proposed framework based on the discussions held.

Describing himself as a link between the people of Ladakh and the Centre, he said, "If there is anything left out, I am here for them to raise it with me. People should come forward and speak openly. We will certainly convey their views to the Government of India."