In Leh, Ladakh, authorities kept tight restrictions in place on Saturday after violent protests rocked the region over demands for statehood. Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), gatherings of five or more people remain banned across the district. Organizers can’t hold any processions, rallies, or marches without getting written permission first.
Security forces have stepped up their presence to keep things calm. The unrest started on September 24, when clashes erupted during Ladakh statehood protests. Protesters set fire to a local BJP office, and the violence claimed four lives.
Two days later, police detained well-known climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA). Officials accuse him of stirring up the violence. His family has confirmed the arrest.
Wangchuk has long campaigned to bring Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. That provision covers tribal areas and sets up autonomous district councils to give locals more control.
Just before his detention, Wangchuk told he wouldn’t mind going to jail if it spotlighted the Ladakh protests and statehood push. “After the violence, all the blame fell on me,” he said. “I even heard they’re preparing a case under the Public Safety Act, which could lock me up for two years without trial or bail.”
He added, “I’d be happy to get arrested anytime. It would make people more aware than if I stayed out. Folks will see the man who brought pride to the country behind bars and question how the nation runs. Maybe this is my last act of service to India.”
Opposition leaders hit out at the BJP-led central government over Wangchuk’s NSA detention. Congress called it a botched handling of the Ladakh situation, while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal blasted the move as “dictatorship at its peak.”
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