Amidst the raging unrest in Leh, ‘activist’ Sonam Wangchuk has been arrested by the police. He is accused of inciting a mob with provocative statements. As per reports, the controversial activist was arrested by Leh Police.
Sonam Wangchukwas scheduled to address a press conference on Friday, but he was arrested before that. While the exact charges against him are not known yet, reports suggest that he has been arrested under the National Security Act (NSA).
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had revoked the FCRA licence of Sonam Wangchuk’s non-profit, the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), citing repeated violations of India’s foreign funding laws for NGOs. The decision came a day after Leh witnessed violent protests over statehood demands, led and amplified by Wangchuk.
The Central government accused Sonam Wangchuk of delivering provocative speeches in an alleged attempt to pull off “Arab Spring-style protests” and “Gen Z protests in Nepal”.
Notably, Ladakh witnessed a dark turn on Wednesday (24th September) as protests demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule spiralled into violence. At least four lives were lost and over 60 people were injured when clashes broke out in Leh. Protesters set ablaze the local BJP office and torched vehicles.
