Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and several others who were detained at the Delhi border while marching to the capital to demand Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh launched an indefinite fast at police stations where they have been kept.
Wangchuk was leading the march, ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’, which began from Leh a month ago. He and around 120 others from Ladakh were detained on Monday night. The march was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, seek its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
Wangchuk and those accompanying him were detained at the Delhi border for violating prohibitory orders and were taken to different police stations, including Bawana, Narela Industrial Area and Alipur, according to a police officer.
“We tried to convince them to go back as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) (which prohibits assembly of five or more people) is imposed in the national capital but they were adamant,” the officer said. They remain under detention,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress has slammed the Modi government over the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and several other Ladakhis, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi terming it as “unacceptable” and saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have to listen to Ladakh’s voice.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Tweeted on X
The arrogance of the Modi Govt consumed in power has detained a group of citizens from Ladakh peacefully marching to Delhi. This is nothing but a cowardly action, and is deeply undemocratic in nature.
In Ladakh, there is a growing wave of public support, with widespread calls…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 1, 2024
In a post on X, Gandhi said, “The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable.”
The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable.
Why are elderly citizens being detained at Delhi’s border for standing up for Ladakh’s future?
Modi ji, like with the farmers, this…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 30, 2024
