Leh: Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk Arrested Under NSA Amid Ladakh Unrest
Leh: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on Friday under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), two days after violent protests over statehood and constitutional protection in Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured, officials said.
Wangchuk was taken out of Ladakh by the police, while the administration suspended all mobile internet services in Leh district as a precautionary measure.
The arrest came unexpectedly. Wangchuk was scheduled to address a press conference in Leh at 2:30 pm. When he did not appear, organisers discovered that he had been detained from his village, Ulyaktopo, by a team of Ladakh Police led by Director General S.D. Singh Jamwal.
The press conference went ahead without him, during which organisers acknowledged that the recent violence was triggered by youth who “lost control,” but denied any foreign involvement.
Leh Apex Body co-chairman Chering Dorjay called for a judicial probe into Wednesday’s incidents that claimed four lives. He accused police and CRPF personnel of firing indiscriminately at protesters instead of using non-lethal methods such as water cannons or warning shots.
Dorjay added, “We made it clear that if the Home Ministry does not call us for talks, we will intensify our agitation. Our movement remains peaceful and non-violent.” He noted that Wangchuk had been on a 35-day hunger strike since September 10, which had prompted the Centre to extend an invitation for talks on October 6.
Meanwhile, Leh remained under curfew for the third consecutive day. Authorities reported an uneasy calm with no major incidents, although more than 50 people were detained and prohibitory orders banning assemblies of five or more remained in place in key towns, including Kargil.
A high-level team from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) arrived in Leh to review the situation. Wangchuk’s arrest came a day after the MHA revoked the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of SECMOL, an organisation he founded, citing alleged financial irregularities.
The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, accused the government of spreading a “false narrative” to tarnish his image, alleging their home was ransacked and condemning the treatment of a respected innovator.
Several opposition figures described the arrest as a demonstration of the government’s “witch-hunting agenda” and repression of dissent. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called it “unfortunate,” accusing the BJP-led Centre of betraying promises made during the 2020 Hill Council elections.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh condemned the detention, calling it an attempt to divert attention from the government’s “abysmal failure” to maintain law and order. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose described the government’s approach as treating dissenters as “anti-national,” while CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas warned such actions would further fuel unrest.
Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa demanded a judicial inquiry into police firing, describing the violence as the “outburst of frustrated unemployed youth,” while dismissing any notion of external conspiracy. LAB legal advisor Haji Ghulam Mustafa called Wangchuk’s arrest “unwise” and potentially damaging to ongoing dialogue with the Centre.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said the nation is witnessing a “difficult phase” with “dictatorship at its peak.”
