Ladakh students’ body condemns police decision to delay protest permission for Sonam Wangchuk’s release

The Ladakh Students Welfare Society Delhi (LSWSD) has condemned the Parliament Street Police Station’s decision to delay permission for their peaceful protest demanding release of Sonam Wangchuk, a climate activist.

The police on Friday detained Wanchuk, who has been protesting for inclusion of statehood and Sixth Schedule status of the Indian Constitution.

Terming it an attempt to suppress the Ladakhi community’s urgent concerns, the LSWSD said that the police station has delayed their permission for peaceful protest to 10 days instead of granting immediate permission.

“This action is not only a denial of our constitutional rights but also an attempt to suppress the urgent concerns of the Ladakhi community. We view this decision as unjust, undemocratic, and deeply disappointing,” the LSWSD said in an official statement.

The statement by the association comes days after over 30 people were injured and 4 died during the protests in Ladakh, and arrest of Wangchuk for allegedly igniting protest violence across the Union territory.

“It raises serious questions about the respect for fundamental rights and the fair treatment of citizens seeking to express their views peacefully. The urgency of our cause seeking justice and the release of Ka Sonam Wangchuk cannot be postponed. Ladakh Students Welfare Society (LSWSD),” it added.

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Wangchuk’s transfer to Jodhpur prison

According to the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) in Leh, Wangchuk’s misleading videos resulted in violence protests and unfortunate deaths of Ladakh citizens.

“Wangchuk in Leh was not advisable and that, based on specific inputs, he was shifted to Jodhpur prison in Rajasthan under NSA to prevent further disruption of public order,” he added.

The administration claimed that Wangchuk had ignored the government’s attempts of dialogue through a high-powered committee. The activist delivered a series of “provocative speeches” with reference to Nepal agitation and Arab Spring that misled the public and triggered violence, the Leh admin said.

Recently, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) blamed the BJP-led government’s refusal to engage with the people of Ladakh as one of the causes for the recent clashes.