Congress calls Sonam Wangchuk's arrest under NSA 'draconian', blames BJP for crisis

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) After Ladakhi climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was moved from the Union Territory to the Jodhpur Central Jail under tight security arrangements a day before, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, on Saturday, condemned Wangchuk's arrest and demanded a judicial investigation into the deaths of four innocent young men and the serious injuries inflicted upon many others.

Taking to his official X account, the Congress President said, "The Indian National Congress strongly condemns the pathetic handling of the situation in Ladakh by the Union government and subsequent arrest of Sonam Wangchuk under the draconian National Security Act. At the heart of the crisis lies the BJP's persistent betrayal of the aspirations of the people of Ladakh."

"For over a year now, there has been turmoil and instead of lending a patient hearing to the cries of the people for inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the Narendra Modi government is responding with violence," Kharge noted.

Highlighting that the BJP government had pledged Sixth Schedule status for the region, he said, "Sadly that promise has been squarely abandoned."

Leh still remains tense after violent clashes broke out on September 24 during protests demanding full statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The unrest, which broke out after nearly two weeks of a peaceful hunger strike, claimed four lives and left dozens injured.

Sonam Wangchuk, who has been the face of the agitation, was arrested on Friday.

The Union government has blamed the climate activist Wangchuk for instigating the violence, though officials have not yet clarified under which specific case he was detained.

The deceased, who died in the Leh violence, have been identified as Tsewang Tharchin (46), Stanzin Namgyal (24), Jigmet Dorjay (25), and Rinchen Dadul (21).

Schools and colleges have also been ordered to be closed until Saturday.

The agitation began on September 10 with a hunger strike demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.

Wangchuk had repeatedly appealed to the Union government to address local concerns, warning that tensions could escalate if demands were ignored.

"If the government continues to ignore our demands, unfortunately, this may happen again," Wangchuk had said shortly before the violence erupted.

Police have so far arrested 60 people in connection with the clashes.

Authorities are maintaining strict vigil, warning against further unrest, as Leh continues to grapple with political and social tensions surrounding the statehood movement.

--IANS

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