Who Is Activist Sonam Wangchuk Arrested On Allegations Of Inciting Violence In Leh
Leh, Ladakh: Police detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday, September 26 hours before his scheduled press conference. The Leh police detained the activist days after violence hit the region, leading to the death of at least four people and left many injured.
Sonam Wangchuk was arrested allegations of inciting crowds during recent violent clashes. Notably, the arrest follows the Union Home Ministry’s revocation of the FCRA license for his NGO SECMOL on September 25, amid a CBI probe into alleged foreign funding violations.
Read Also: Leh Violence Over Ladakh Statehood: Four Dead, BJP Blames Congress, Wangchuk Appeals For Peace
The recent Gen Z protest that turned violent in Leh seeks statehood, Sixth Schedule protections, job reservations and safeguards against industrial encroachments in Ladakh, which became a Union Territory without a legislature in 2019.
The founding-director of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), Wangchuk, also an engineer, is known for designing the SECMOL campus that runs on solar energy and uses no fossil fuels for cooking,
Read Also: BJP Office Set On Fire: Violent Clash Erupts In Ladakh Over Statehood Demand, Curfew Imposed
Wangchuk appealed to Indians to use “wallet power” and boycott Chinese products in 2020 during India-China stand off. Notably, Wangchuk and his supporters were detained by Delhi Police at the Singhu border when he led a protest in 2024.
The protesters went on for an indefinite hunger strike if they would not be allowed to meet either Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu or Union Home Minister Amit Shah to address their demand of Ladakh statehood under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
