Ladakh: A massive protest erupted in Leh on Wednesday morning, September 24, after Gen Z took to the streets demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule. The protest turned violent as demonstrators clashed with Leh Police and set the BJP Office on fire. In the first such instance of violence, stones were pelted at officials, and a police vehicle was even burnt down.
To press the statehood demand and constitutional safeguard, the people in Ladakh have been observing a hunger strike and a total shutdown today. The angry protesters attacked the Police, who in turn fired tear gas to disperse the crowd and resorted to a lathi-charge.
#WATCH | Leh, Ladakh: A massive protest by the people of Ladakh demanding statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule turned into clashes with police in Leh. pic.twitter.com/VM3ICMkl4K
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2025
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The violence in Ladakh played out against the backdrop of the upcoming meeting with the Central government. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had again been on a hunger strike in the Union Territory for 15 days to safeguard the fragile ecosystem, jobs, and land rights. He was part of the ongoing agitation. The protest comes at a time when a fresh round of talks is scheduled to be held between the Government and Ladakh representatives on October 6.
The region has witnessed growing unrest over the past few years. In August 2019, Ladakh was reconstituted as a separate Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370. The decision was welcomed by many, including Wangchuk, following the bifurcation of the former state of J&K. However, tensions mounted within a year over what residents referred to as a political vacuum under the Lt. Governor’s administration.
Recently, talks with Home Minister Amit Shah also collapsed in Delhi, escalating the tensions. NDTV quoted a leader who attended the meeting as saying, “During the meeting, the Home Minister told us that he had made a mistake by carving out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. He also rejected our demand for statehood and the Sixth Schedule.”
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