Govt mistaken if it thinks arresting Wangchuk will restore peace in Ladakh, says Congress

Congress condemned the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the NSA, saying detaining him will not restore peace in Ladakh. Wangchuk, a key voice in the statehood and Sixth Schedule agitation, has mobilised youth and carried out peaceful protests

Leh: Asserting that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has become the most visible and vocal face of Ladakh agitation, the Congress unit here has said that no amount of “vilification campaign and trumped-up charges” against him would hold in the eyes of the local population.

It said the government is terribly mistaken if it believes arresting Wangchuk would help restore peace and harmony in the region. Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) on Friday and was lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan, two days after protesters demanding statehood and extension of Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh turned violent and indulged in widespread violence.

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Four protesters were killed and 90 others were injured in the clashes. The Congress party strongly condemns the unwarranted arrest of the renowned activist. His only fault was that he held the BJP accountable for its election promise to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

“He was also instrumental in articulating the other demands of Leh Apex Body-Kargil Democratic Alliance combine vis-a-vis grant of Statehood, separate parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil, and recruitment in government jobs, given the second-highest rate of unemployment at the graduate level in Ladakh as per GOI statistics,” Ladakh Congress president Nawang Rigzin Jora said in a statement.

He said Wangchuk, following the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi, carried out ‘satyagrahs’, ‘anshans’ (fast), and ‘padyatras’ in the past five years, has become the most visible and vocal face of Ladakh agitation and, hence, an eyesore for the central government.

“It is unfortunate that the government used all possible harassment tools against him and his institutions, HIAL and SECMOL, including the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, etc. He did not budge; instead, he carried out a 35-day-long fast along with his supporters under the aegis of LAB,” the statement said.

The Congress said Wangchuk called off his fast on September 24 when the youth mobilised by the LAB youth wing and the youths of various religious organisations ran amok against the administration’s “high-handedness and brutalities”, leading to four deaths and grave injuries to a few dozen people.

“This grave mishandling found a convenient scapegoat in Wangchuk and non-BJP parties, especially Congress. The government is terribly mistaken if it feels arresting Wangchuk will help restore peace and harmony,” the statement said, adding “no amount of vilification campaign and trumped-up charges against him will hold in the eyes of the people of Ladakh.”