At least four people were killed and dozens injured on Wednesday as protests turned violent in Ladakh. Prohibitory orders were later clamped across leh — with Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta insisting there was a “conspiracy behind the protest”. Several BJP leaders also saw a Congress link to the violent clash while activist Sonam Wangchuk claimed this was a “Gen Z revolution”.
“A fire was set at BJP office in Ladakh, Rahul Gandhi ji, its leader is your Gen Z, Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, who is an elected ward member from the Congress party. will be the consequence of playing with fire? Stop challenging BJP workers,” BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote on X.
Senior BJP leaders Amit Malviya and Sambit Patra appeared to concur — insisting that Congress councillor Stanzing Tsepang had “instigated the violence”. They also shared photos of the same individual with Leader of Oppoition Rahul Gandhi to underscore accusations that the other party “had nefarious designs”. BJP MP Sambit Patra also connected the portest to George Soros and claimed Gandhi was working with the American investor to “break the country”
What has the BJP said?
“Congress councillor Stanzing Tsepang is the councillor from the Upper Leh ward. He is the main instigator, and numerous photos have surfaced of him and his workers instigating the violence. He can also be seen marching towards the BJP office with a weapon in his hand. He is instigating the mob and targeting the BJP office..,” alleged Patra.
“This man rioting in Ladakh is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward. He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?” Malviya added while sharing several photos.
Wangchuk counters claim
Activist Sonam Wangchuk issued a rebuttal to the persistent claims of Congress involvement — noting that the party had very limited presence in the Union Territory. He also dubbed it a “Gen Z revolution” and noted that many had left unemployed “without their democratic rights” for years in Ladakh.
“Congress doesn’t have such influence here that it can manage to get 5000 youth on the roads…A Congress councillor yesterday reached a hospital in anger because two people from his village were brought injured to the hospital…” he told ANI.
Who is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag?
Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag is listed as the Councillor for Upper Leh and a part of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. The autonomous district organisation was established in 1995 and currently administers Leh district in Ladakh. Members are elected through direct polls from territorial constituencies for a term of five years. According to official data, he had won the Leh election as a Congress candidate in 2020.