Sonam Wangchuk Arrested After Deadly Protests, 'Moved Out Of Ladakh'

Leh: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been at the forefront of the agitation for Ladakh’s statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, was on Friday arrested under the National Security Act following his alleged provocative speeches and taken to an undisclosed location. He has reportedly been moved out of Ladakh, two days after violent protests left four people dead and over 90 injured in Leh.

Wangchuk, arrested on the charges of delivering provocative speeches, was taken into custody by a police team led by Ladakh DGP SD Jamwal at 2.30 pm from the outskirts of Leh.

According to reports, Wangchuk was supposed to address a press conference on Friday but was arrested before he could speak to the media.

An FIR against him for allegedly inciting people to violence was registered on Thursday.

The protests, led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), had begun as a peaceful shutdown demanding statehood for Ladakh but quickly turned violent. Demonstrators had torched the BJP office in Leh, a police vehicle and several private cars, triggering a harsh crackdown.

Internet services have also been suspended in Leh after Wangchuk's arrest. Prohibitions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, continue to be imposed in Leh following the violence. The assembly of five or more persons is banned in the district. No procession, rally or march can be carried out without prior written approval.

Authorities had imposed a curfew in Kargil, where a shutdown was called by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in solidarity with Wangchuk. Police said the step was necessary to prevent further escalation of violence after Wednesday’s clashes spiraled into arson and attacks on government property.

Wangchuk: Face of Ladakh’s struggle

An engineer, educator and environmentalist, Sonam Wangchuk has become the most visible face of Ladakh’s political struggle since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which reorganised Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. He has long campaigned for Sixth Schedule status to safeguard the region’s fragile ecology, tribal culture and autonomy. His earlier hunger strikes in 2020 brought national attention to Ladakh’s demands.

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Political blame game intensifies

The Ladakh administration has blamed Wangchuk’s speeches for inciting Wednesday’s protests, which left the region on edge. Meanwhile, BJP leaders accused the Congress of exploiting the unrest for political gains, pointing to videos allegedly showing Congress Councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag instigating the mob. BJP’s IT Department co-incharge Amit Malviya said the violence was a result of “deliberate political provocation".

Tsepag, however, has gone missing since the violence, with police launching raids to trace him. In an exclusive interview to Republic TV, he denied involvement in the clashes.

With Wangchuk’s arrest and the Congress councillor absconding, the agitation for Ladakh’s statehood has taken a volatile turn, leaving the region tense and heavily militarised.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah Reacts to Wangchuk’s Arrest, Calls it ‘Unfortunate’

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his strong disapproval of the arrest of Wangchuk, describing it as "very unfortunate."

"His arrest is unfortunate. Given the way the central government has been after them since yesterday, it seemed like something like this might happen. Promises were made to them, just as they were made to us. Now, I don't understand what compels the central government to renege on the promises it makes," Abdullah stated.