Leh violence: Ladakh police arrest activist Sonam Wangchuk
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Leh: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested Friday by a police party here, two days after violent protests by supporters of the movement for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution left four persons dead and 90 others injured, PTI reported, citing an official account.
Wangchuk was taken into custody by the police party led by Ladakh DGP S D Singh Jamwal at 2.30 pm, the officials said.
It was not immediately clear what charges were pressed against Wangchuk.
The home ministry had blamed Wangchuk, a senior member of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is spearheading the agitation in support of the demands for the past five years, for provocation leading to the violence.
Wangchuk, who was leading a hunger strike in support of the demands, however, denied the charges. He denounced the violence and also ended the fortnight-long fast following the violence on Wednesday.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the FCRA license of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s NGO on Thursday. The Centre claimed that Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike demanding statehood for Ladakh for more than a month, incited violence by his ‘provocative statements’, The Indian Express reported.
The CBI had started an inquiry two months ago into Wangchuk’s NGO, Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, over its alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
Alongside accusing Wangchuk of inciting mobs with ‘provocative statements’, Centre on Wednesday said that ‘certain politically motivated individuals were not happy with the progress’ happening in the talks between the government and Ladakh groups, adding that they ‘have been trying to sabotage the dialogue process’.