Amid violent clashes that left four people dead and hundreds injured, a curfew was imposed across the Leh district of the Union Territory as a “precautionary measure”, Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta said on Wednesday. Protests broke out in Ladakh as anger grew over direct central rule and demands for full statehood.
Calling the clashes a conspiracy, Gupta promised strict action against everyone involved in the violence. After violent crowds attacked police vehicles and the BJP headquarters in Ladakh, security forces opened fire.
The mob torched the BJP office after pulling down its flags and set fire to several vehicles, after which the Lt Governor held the protesters responsible for arson and the deaths. “Those who instigated protests are responsible for deaths in Ladakh today,” the Lt Governor said.
He that the mob even tried to “burn CRPF men inside the vehicle and the vehicle of DGP Ladakh was also attacked by stone pelters”. The mob attacks left more than 30 police and CRPF personnel injured, the Centre said in a statement.
Unrest has been growing in Ladakh against direct central rule over the past three years, with residents repeatedly demanding statehood and protections for their land, culture, and resources.
Ladakh became a separate Union Territory in August 2019, after Article 370 was revoked and the former state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated.
