The agitation saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office and several vehicles set ablaze, with hundreds of protesters taking to the streets, prompting a complete shutdown in Leh
Smoke billows out from a structure set ablaze by miscreants amid a massive protest and shutdown, in Leh, Ladakh. PIC/PTI
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday ended his 15-day hunger strike as protests demanding statehood for Ladakh and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule turned violent, news agency PTI reported.
The agitation saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office and several vehicles set ablaze, with hundreds of protesters taking to the streets, prompting a complete shutdown in Leh.
Thick smoke and flames were visible from a distance as the unrest escalated. In response, the administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), banning the assembly of five or more people, reported PTI, quoting officials.
"I request the youth of Ladakh to stop the violence forthwith as it only causes harm to our cause and further deteriorates the situation. We do not want instability in Ladakh and the country," Wangchuk told a large gathering of supporters at the site of his hunger strike.
Teargas shells could be heard in the background as clashes continued, PTI reported.
Wangchuk also posted a video message on his X handle urging the youth to remain peaceful and stop all acts of violence.
The Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) youth wing had called for the protest after two of the 15 hunger strikers, who had been fasting since September 10, were hospitalised owing to deteriorating health on Tuesday evening.
The Constitution’s Sixth Schedule, currently applicable in the states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Assam, provides for autonomous district councils with special powers in governance, judiciary, and finance—measures the Ladakh movement wants extended to the region.
Momentum behind the movement has been building steadily, with a new round of talks scheduled between the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ladakh representatives—comprising LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) members—on October 6. The two bodies have jointly led the four-year-long agitation, holding multiple rounds of dialogue with the Centre.
In response to the protest call, Leh town shut down completely. Large crowds gathered at the NDS memorial ground before marching through the streets, chanting slogans in favor of statehood and the Sixth Schedule, officials said.
The situation deteriorated when some protestors began pelting stones at the BJP and Hill Council headquarters. Police and paramilitary forces, deployed across the town, fired teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
Groups of youth set a security vehicle and other cars on fire and attacked the BJP office, setting fire to furniture, documents, and one of the buildings. Reinforcements were rushed in, and officials monitoring the situation said it took several hours to regain control.
Tensions intensified following the Centre’s invitation to the LAB and KDA for renewed talks on September 20—10 days after Wangchuk began his hunger strike. Emotions flared further when hunger strikers Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60) were hospitalized, prompting the LAB to urge the government to advance the talks.
Former MP and LAB chairperson Thupstan Chhewang, who had stepped down after the previous round of talks on May 27, has returned to lead the delegation for the upcoming negotiations.
The Congress party opted out of the LAB after some members called for a non-political delegation, given the upcoming Leh Hill Council elections next month.
Meanwhile, the KDA announced a complete shutdown in Kargil on Thursday, expressing solidarity with those on hunger strike and demanding that the Centre expedite the talks.
(With PTI inputs)
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