The government blamed activist Sonam Wangchuck for clashes in Ladakh today that led 4 deaths and 70 injuries. The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement, “Despite many leaders urging him to end the hunger strike, he continued and misled the people with mentions of Arab Spring-style protests and references to Gen Z protests in Nepal.”
Provocative speech of Sonam Wangchuck results in violent Ladakh protests
“A mob inspired by his provocative speeches left the hunger strike venue and attacked a political party office and the government office of the CEC Leh. It is clear that the mob was led by Sonam Wangchuk through his inflammatory statements,” the ministry added.
Earlier, government sources claimed that the situation in Ladakh did not escalate on its own; it was intentionally created. They suggested that Ladakh and its young population are suffering because of the narrow politics of certain individuals and the personal ambitions of activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The young people of Ladakh should not blamed; they misled and caught in a harmful plot for political and personal gain, according to government sources. They emphasized that the central government committed to the welfare and empowerment of the people of Ladakh.
Protestors set fire on Ladakh Hill Council Assembly, 50 officers injured
As protesters demanding statehood in the Union Territory clashed violently with the police today, some set fire to the hall of the Ladakh Hill Council Assembly, reported the Leh deputy commissioner. The administration said that 50 security personnel injured due to stone-throwing by the mob.
Sonam Wangchuck also ended his two-week hunger strike, demanding statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule under the Constitution to Ladakh. The Centre had already scheduled a meeting for October 6 with a high-powered committee to discuss issues raised by the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), and agreed on new members for the committee as proposed by the ABL.
Read also: 4 dead, 70 injured in Violent Ladakh Statehood protest