'Ladakh will be the first Indian state with Buddhist majority': Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe

In a somewhat unexpected reaction, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickramasinghe has hailed the formation of Ladakh, which has been carved out as a Union Territory after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir post revocation of Article 370.  Wickramasinghe, PM of Buddhist majority Sri Lanka pointed out that Ladakh will be the first Buddhist majority state of India. 

He tweeted:

Ladakh will become an Indian State. With 70% of Ladakh’s population being Buddhist it will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority. Creation of Ladakh and consequential restructuring is India’s internal matter, it is a beautiful region well worth a visit.

— Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) August 6, 2019

He said,"Ladakh will become an Indian State. With 70% of Ladakh’s population being Buddhist it will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority. Creation of Ladakh and consequential restructuring is India’s internal matter, it is a beautiful region well worth a visit."

While Wickramasinghe said that Ladakh will be a state, technically it will be a Union Territory without any legislature whereas Jammu and Kashmir will be Union Territory with legislature. 

There were street celebrations here to welcome the Central government's action conferring Union Territory status on Ladakh. People took to the streets playing drums and trumpets and dancing to the beats in their traditional attire as a huge number of people watched them with glee.

A local resident of Leh, who is a BJP member, expressed his gratitude to the Centre for taking this step. He said "BJP has done something really impossible. We were demanding this for years and the BJP government has fulfilled our long-pending wish."

"We are happy that finally Ladakh is a union territory and Article 370 is revoked. The entire public of Ladakh thanks Modiji and Amit Shahji," said another resident.

With ANI inputs