Centre Says Sonam Wangchuk Arrested After Repeated Provocative Statements, Assures Dialogue Will Continue

Leh: Famous climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested by the Ladakh Police on Friday, just two days after major protests in Ladakh turned violent.  He has been charged under the National Security Act (NSA), a strict law that allows police to keep someone in custody without regular court trials.

The arrest happened around 2:30 PM, at the same time Wangchuk was scheduled to address a press conference in Leh. A police team, led by Ladakh’s Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal, took him into custody and moved him out of Ladakh for security reasons. The local administration also suspended mobile internet services in Leh to stop the spread of rumours and prevent further unrest.

Just a day before the arrest, the Union Home Ministry had cancelled the licence of Wangchuk’s NGO, SECMOL, under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010.

The ministry said there were serious violations of FCRA rules, including misuse of foreign funds and failure to declare multiple bank accounts.

Officials also claimed that funds meant for educational purposes were wrongly used for activities that questioned national sovereignty.

Investigations also revealed that foreign money was allegedly moved to Wangchuk’s private company and sent abroad through personal accounts.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax Department are now looking into these alleged financial irregularities.

The government said it had avoided arresting Wangchuk for a long time, even though his actions were seen as a growing threat to public order.

Officials explained that they were hoping he would change his ways and return to peaceful activism.

However, after he made several provocative statements including references to the Arab Spring and recent youth protests in Nepal the situation in Leh worsened.

On 25 September, protests demanding statehood and constitutional protections for Ladakh turned violent.

Four people lost their lives, and more than 80 others, including police officers, were injured. Vehicles were set on fire, curfews were imposed, and security forces had to use tear gas and live bullets to control the crowd. The violence began after two elderly hunger strikers, who were protesting alongside Wangchuk, collapsed and were taken to hospital. In response, Wangchuk ended his hunger strike, but the anger on the streets had already erupted.

Despite the arrest, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that it remains committed to continuing dialogue with the people of Ladakh. Officials have assured that this action will not affect the government’s willingness to talk to local leaders and social groups.

They said that the Raj Niwas in Ladakh remains open for anyone working for the welfare of the people and warned that any further attempts to disturb peace will be dealt with firmly, just like in this case.

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