Ladakh News Today LIVE Updates: Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under NSA in Leh on Friday, two days protests demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution turned violent. The violence left four dead and 90 injured, officials said. .
The development comes as a dramatic escalation in Ladakh’s statehood movement, which has been spearheaded for over five years by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
MHA blames Wangchuk for provoking unrest
The Union Home Ministry has blamed Wangchuk for allegedly provoking unrest. Wangchuk has denied the allegations and said that his campaign was peaceful. He condemned the violence and ended his 15-day hunger strike on Wednesday in the wake of the bloodshed.
The LAB stated on Friday that their protest is peaceful and that the violence on September 24 was triggered when a section of the youth got out of control. Addressing a press conference, the Apex Body denied activist Sonam Wangchuk’s role in the violence in Leh during his ongoing hunger strike.
Statement from Leh Apex Body
“Our movement will be peaceful and nonviolent to disseminate this, we started prayers of all the religions. When Sonam Wangchuk started the Hunger Strike, a few people were there. We used to call people from villages. We called for a Leh Bandh on September 24. Before that, on September 23, two people who were in the protest were admitted to the hospital. Getting to know this a huge mob of youth came to the hospital. On the day of the bandh, more people than we expected poured in at the site of the strike. A large part of the people were youth that day,” the official statement read.
Sonam Wangchuk detained live: Omar Abdullah calls Wangchuk getting detained ‘unfortunate’
Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah called Wangchuk getting detained an “unfortunate” case and accused Central government of backtracking on its promises. “This is unfortunate. The way the Central government was after him since yesterday, it seemed they would do something like this,” Abdullah told reporters.
“Promises were made with the people there…I don’t understand what compulsions does the Central government have to backtrack after making promises,” he further said.
Sonam Wangchuk detained live: ‘Dictatorship’: AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal reacts
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal condemned the police detaining Sonam Wangchuk on Friday. “Today in our country, dictatorship is at its peak. The end of those who practice dictatorship and arrogance is very bad,” Kejriwal posted on X. “Ravana’s end also came. Kansa’s end also came. Hitler’s and Mussolini’s end also came. And today, people hate all those individuals,” the post read.
Sonam Wangchuk detained live: Day after FCRA license cancellation, Sonam Wangchuk detained by police
Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained on Friday. This comes two days after the statehood protests turned violent in Leh and resulted in four deaths. The FCRA licence of Wangchuk’s NGO was cancelled on Thursday. Speaking to The Indian Express, legal advisor to Leh Apex Body Mustafa Haji confirmed, “Sonam Wangchuk has been detained by police while he was on his way to Leh from his village. We are getting more details.”