Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk arrested in Leh 'under NSA' after deadly protests

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been arrested, two days after four protesters were killed in a violent demonstration in Leh district of Ladakh. Chering Dorjey Lakrook, a member of Leh Apex Body (LAB), confirmed the arrest, calling it unfortunate. The arrest occurred in Leh district on Friday afternoon, just as LAB representatives, who have been demanding Sixth Schedule and statehood for nearly four years, were about to hold a press conference.

The violent protest on Wednesday took place after a group of youth set ablaze the BJP office and Hill Council building in Leh, prompting police to fire on the protesters. Wangchuk had been on a 35-day hunger strike, which he ended soon after the violence erupted in Leh town.

Wangchuk was taken into custody by a police party led by Ladakh Police chief SD Singh Jamwal at 2.30 pm, the officials said, adding that he has been shifted out of Ladakh.

The administration also snapped mobile internet services in the Leh area as a precautionary measure.

Related News: Ladakh statehood protest: Curfew remains in force for third day in Leh, situation peaceful

While there was no official word on the charges pressed against Wangchuk, sources within the Ladakh administration indicated that the stringent National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against the climate activist.

There were apprehensions since morning that Wangchuk might be arrested.

Wangchuk, a leading voice for LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading the five-year-long agitation for statehood and constitutional safeguards for the residents of Leh and Kargil, which form part of the Ladakh Union Territory carved out from erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

The Centre has strongly blamed him for inciting the recent violence but Wangchuk denied all the allegations.

“To say it was instigated by me is to find a scapegoat, rather than addressing the core of the problem, and this will lead us nowhere,” Wangchuk said on Thursday, adding that the violence was a symptom of frustrated youth.

The arrest came a day after the Union Home Ministry cancelled the FCRA licence of Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organisation founded by Wangchuk, citing alleged financial discrepancies and a fund transfer deemed to be against “national interest”.

(With PTI inputs)