Ladakh mob violence motivated by ‘provocative statements’ by Wangchuk: Govt   

The Centre on Wednesday alleged that the mob violence in Ladakh was guided by the "provocative statements" by activist Sonam Wangchuk, and certain "politically motivated" individuals were not happy with the progress made in the ongoing talks between the representatives of the government and Ladakhi groups.

In a statement, the Union Home Ministry said barring a few unfortunate incidents that happened early on Wednesday, the situation was brought under control by 4 pm and asked everyone not to circulate old and provocative videos in the media and social media.

"The Government stands committed to the aspiration of the people of Ladakh by providing adequate constitutional safeguards," the statement said.

Earlier, government sources said the violence in Ladakh smacks of conspiracy motivated by politics and personal gains, but the youth are not to be blamed.

Ladakh and its youth are paying a huge price for the narrow politics played by certain individuals and the personal ambitions of activist Sonam Wangchuk, they claimed.

The youth of Ladakh who indulged in violence were misled, caught up in a sinister plot for political and personal gain, sources said, adding that the central government stands committed to the welfare and empowerment of Ladakhi people and stands with the youth.

Sources said the Congress leaders made statements that almost sounded like instructions for throwing stones, bandhs and arson.

"Why were they so ready? The entire episode smacks of conspiracy motivated by politics and personal gains," a source said.

The situation in Ladakh didn't spiral on its own and was "engineered deliberately", they said.

Referring to the October 6 meeting of the High Powered Committee to discuss all issues concerning the Union Territory, sources said the central government is considering advancing the meeting to September 25-26.

"In fact, the Centre has always been ready for talks and, on an earlier occasion, talks were proposed on July 25, which did not receive a positive response," they said.

Even when the talks are lined up with an open mind, violence was provoked for whose benefit, sources questioned.

"Sonam Wangchuck has long hinted at wanting an Arab Spring-style protest in Ladakh. His references to Gen Z protests in Nepal now seem like a blueprint. Has he used the platform for his personal issues to hide certain irregularities which are coming to light now?" sources said.