NEW DELHI: A day after violent protests rocked Leh, and minutes before he was to address a news conference, Ladakh democracy activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on Friday.
The development came a day after the Modi government accused him of instigating the violent protests that broke out in Leh on Wednesday, and which ended in the death of four individuals in police firing. Another fifty people were injured.
The following day, the centre revoked the foreign donations licence of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, founded by Wangchuk. The CBI has also initiated an inquiry into the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh, which he runs, for alleged FCRA violations, Indian Express said.
Wangchuk had said he would address a press conference on Friday at Hotel Abduz in Leh, which would also be broadcast on Zoom. Though his secretary started the press conference, Wangchuk did not appear.
Promised statehood
Wangchuk, who was part of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), had been on a hunger strike to press for his demands, which include the promised statehood for Ladakh. Wangchuk called off the strike after violence flared. Many of the protesters are believed to have broken off from the peaceful protest on Wednesday after two people fainted during the fast.
The government had accused Wangchuck of inciting the mob by alleged provocative statements and said that “several politically motivated individuals” were not happy about the “progress” being made in the talks between the representatives of the government and Ladakh groups.
Wangchuk has claimed the central government is building a case against him “to bring me under the Public Safety Act and throw me in jail for two years”.
“I am ready for that, but Sonam Wangchuk in jail may cause them more problems than a free Sonam Wangchuk,” he said on Thursday.
Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, called the development “unfortunate” and said: “The way the Centre was after him since yesterday, it was obvious.”
Omar said the Centre has a problem of making promises it does not fulfil.
“Some promises were made to them just like promises were made to us. I am unable to understand what forces the Centre to renege on their promises,” Omar said.
Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister, called the development “deeply disturbing”. “A lifelong advocate of peace, sustainability and truth is being punished merely for demanding that promises be kept.
“Today, Leh is under curfew, a grim echo of what Kashmir has long endured. In today’s India, speaking truth to power comes at a heavy cost,” she said.