Tensions remain high in Leh, Ladakh, as a curfew stretches into Thursday following deadly clashes that left four protesters dead and 40 others injured. The violence erupted Wednesday when angry mobs set fire to vehicles, torched the local BJP office, and partially burned the Leh Hill Council office.
Authorities have booked Congress leader and councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag for allegedly delivering a provocative speech at a hunger strike site on Tuesday. The Ministry of Home Affairs points the finger at the hunger strikers, including well-known climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, for sparking the unrest.
The chaos began with stone-pelting that damaged several vehicles, including a CRPF Gypsy. Police and paramilitary forces responded by opening fire, deploying tear gas, and using baton charges to protect government property and lives. An unruly crowd had targeted the BJP office and Hill Council building amid the frenzy.
The hunger strike, led by the Youth Wing of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), aimed to pressure the central government for quicker talks instead of the scheduled October 6 meeting. Protesters demand statehood for Ladakh, extension of the Sixth Schedule protections, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts, and job reservations for locals.
LAB in Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have pushed these demands through a four-year agitation, including multiple rounds of discussions with the Home Ministry. Tensions started simmering Tuesday evening, leading to the explosive events.
Former MP Thupstan Chhewang, who stepped down from LAB after talks broke off in May, has returned as chairperson. He may lead the next joint delegation in negotiations. The Congress party pulled out of LAB to keep the group non-political ahead of next month’s Leh Hill Council elections.
In a ripple effect, organizers canceled the final day of the four-day Ladakh Festival on Thursday. Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta had planned to attend the closing event, which kicked off Sunday. Police report a calm atmosphere in Leh town now, with strict restrictions enforced by the district magistrate. Gupta warned troublemakers of tough action while voicing support for Ladakh’s “peaceful and law-abiding” residents.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya reacted sharply on X, accusing a Congress councillor from Saspol, Smanla Dorjey Norboo, of fueling the fire. Malviya claimed Norboo dared authorities during a press conference to send more CRPF forces and vowed to personally stone the BJP office, urging people across Ladakh to join an attack on September 24. That day, the mob indeed set the office ablaze.
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