Leh Ladakh Protest Live Updates: CBI probing Sonam Wangchuk for alleged FCRA violation

Leh Ladakh Protest Live Updates: The protest demanding statehood for Ladakh turned violent on Wednesday, with arson and street clashes leaving at least four dead and dozens injured, including 40 police personnel, officials said. Protesters set the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office, a police vehicle, and several private cars on fire. The unrest erupted during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which has been leading a five-year campaign demanding Ladakh’s statehood.

Later on Wednesday, the Union Home Ministry said the situation was under control and that no new incidents of violence had been reported after 4 pm. “Except for the regrettable incidents earlier in the day, the situation in Ladakh was brought under control by 4 pm,” the ministry noted.

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Ladakh became a separate Union Territory in August 2019, after Article 370 was revoked and the former state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated.

Centre’s blames Sonam Wangchuk

The Centre blamed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for inciting the mob for violent clashes in Ladakh on Wednesday through his ‘provocative statements’. In a post on X, the Ministry of Home Affairs claimed, “It is clear that the mob was incited by Shri Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative statements. Incidentally, amidst these violent developments, he broke his fast and left for his village in an ambulance without making serious efforts to control the situation.”

Meanwhile, the Government urged the people to refrain from circulating old and provocative videos on social media platforms. “In spite of many leaders urging him to call off the hunger strike, he continued with the hunger strike and misled the people through provocative mentions of Arab Spring-style protests and references to Gen Z protests in Nepal,” MHA said in a statement.

In a series of posts on X, the Centre shared details of the outbreak of the violent clashes. The Government said the situation in Ladakh didn’t escalate on its own; rather, it was deliberately engineered. It resulted in an attack on the CEC Leh’s government office and a political party’s office. The unruly mob torched a police vehicle, assaulted the security, injuring over 30 CRPF personnel.

The Centre said that Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, which started on September 10, continued despite ongoing talks through a High-Powered Committee, Sub-committee, and multiple informal meetings with leaders that delivered ley key concessions.

“The process of dialogue through this mechanism has yielded phenomenal results by increasing reservations for the Ladakh scheduled tribe from 45% to 84%, providing 1/3 women’s reservations in the councils, and declaring Bhoti and Purgi as official languages. With this process, the recruitment of 1800 posts was also commenced,” MHA announced.

What did Sonam Wangchuk say?

Following the clashes in Leh, activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 15-day hunger strike. Addressing a press conference, Wangchuk said he chose to suspend his fast as a precaution, worried that continuing it could make tensions in Leh worse.

He condemned the violence and called for calm across the region. Wangchuk also made it clear that no political party was behind the protests, saying he didn’t think any party had the influence to rally the youth there.

Earlier, Wangchuk, a leading figure in the campaign, had urged young people to “stop this nonsense,” warning that such unrest only “damages their cause.”

Posting a video on X, he wrote: “Very sad by the events in Leh. My message of the peaceful path failed today. I appeal to the youth to please stop this nonsense. This only damages our cause.”

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