A day after violent protests over statehood rocked Ladakh, the Centre cancelled activist Sonam Wangchuk’s NGO FCRA licence for repeated violations. The move comes as curfew grips Leh and political blame games intensify.
New Delhi: A day after violent clashes broke out in Ladakh leaving four people dead and over 80 injured, the Union Territory administration imposed a strict curfew in Leh. Prohibitory orders banning gatherings of more than five people were also extended to other towns including Kargil, where a shutdown was called by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in support of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta chaired a high-level security review meeting on Thursday, asking the police and paramilitary forces to maintain heightened vigilance to protect peace.
The agitation for Ladakh’s statehood, which has been continuing for years, turned into arson and violence on Wednesday when protesters clashed with security forces during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB).
The mob torched a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office, a police vehicle, and several private cars.
Later, the Union Home Ministry said that the situation was brought under control by 4 pm. The ministry appealed to the public not to spread rumours through old or inflammatory videos.
In its statement, the ministry noted,
“Except for the regrettable incidents earlier in the day, the situation in Ladakh was brought under control by 4 pm,”
adding that the government remains committed to providing Ladakh with appropriate constitutional safeguards that match the aspirations of its people.
Officials said that large numbers of police and paramilitary forces were deployed and used tear gas shells to disperse protesters.
The people of Ladakh have also been demanding the inclusion of the Union Territory under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which currently applies to certain tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
The demand has been growing ever since Article 370 was revoked in August 2019 and Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory without legislature.
Amid the tense situation, activist Sonam Wangchuk announced the end of his 15-day hunger strike. He said he was taking this step after violence broke out in Leh, fearing that his protest might add to the unrest.
Speaking to the media, he said he wanted to help calm the atmosphere and insisted that no political party was behind the agitation. Wangchuk told reporters that he had suspended his protest as a precaution and condemned the violence, while urging the youth to maintain peace.
He said,
“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.”
In his video message on X, he further stressed that young people must reject violence, warning that such actions only weaken the movement for statehood and Sixth Schedule status. According to him, the immediate trigger of the anger was the hospitalisation of two people.
The central government, on the other hand, blamed Wangchuk’s statements for provoking the unrest.
The Home Ministry said that aside from a few regrettable incidents earlier in the day, the situation had been brought under control by 4 pm. It further urged people not to share old or inflammatory videos through the media or on social media platforms.
The statement also hinted that some politically motivated groups were unhappy with the pace of talks between the Centre and Ladakhi groups.
Political reactions poured in from across the country. Opposition parties urged the Centre to deal with the situation sensitively and understand the root causes.
The CPI(M) accused the BJP of betraying Ladakhis, while CPI(ML) Liberation issued a sharp statement saying,
“The (Narendra) Modi government is solely responsible for this entire situation, having trampled the Constitution, dismantled federalism and denied the people their democratic rights in order to tighten its authoritarian grip over the region.”
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah reacted strongly on X, writing,
“Ladakh wasn’t even promised Statehood, they celebrated UT status in 2019 & they feel betrayed & angry.”
He warned that the violence in Leh should be a lesson about people’s anger over the denial of statehood.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she was deeply saddened to see Ladakh, a region known for peace, descend into violence. She wrote,
“I would have never imagined that the peace loving people of Ladakh would ever choose violence to have their demands heard. It is saddening to read about the protestors taking law into their own hands for their demand for statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. GoI needs to engage people in a dialogue rather than turn a blind eye from Manipur to now Ladakh.”
The BJP, meanwhile, targeted the Congress. BJP leader Amit Malviya accused the Congress of instigating the unrest, sharing a video of a local councillor on X.
He wrote,
“This man rioting in Ladakh is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward. He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?”
In a fresh development, the government has now cancelled the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) registration of Wangchuk’s non-profit organisation. Officials cited “repeat violations” of the law regulating foreign funding for NGOs.
The move came just 24 hours after the violent protests over statehood demands led by Wangchuk shook Leh and Kargil.
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