Ladakh’s top police officer on Saturday defended climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act, describing him as the “main instigator of violence” and claiming that investigators were looking into his alleged Pakistan connections following Wednesday’s deadly protests.
Director general of police SD Singh Jamwal told reporters in Leh that a Pakistani Intelligence Operative arrested last month had been sending videos of Wangchuk’s protests across the border, raising questions about foreign involvement in the unrest that killed four people and injured over 100.
“He had his own agenda. There is a probe of foreign funding, violation of FCRA against him… We have a PIO with us who was reporting across the border, sending videos of the protests led by Wangchuk,” Jamwal said at a press conference as authorities eased curfew restrictions for the first time since Wednesday’s violence.
The arrest has sparked outrage among opposition parties. Ladakh Congress asserted that no amount of “vilification campaign and trumped-up charges” would diminish Wangchuk’s standing as the “most visible and vocal face of Ladakh agitation.”
The police chief described the violence as unprecedented, saying “this type of incident has never taken place in the history of Ladakh.” He claimed Wangchuk had “worked a lot to derail” ongoing political talks between the Centre and Ladakh representatives, despite the government scheduling fresh negotiations for October 6.
Jamwal cited Wangchuk’s foreign visits as suspicious, including attendance at a Dawn newspaper event in Pakistan and a trip to Bangladesh. “If we go by the profile of Sonam Wangchuk, everything is available on YouTube where he is speaking about Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Arab Spring. There is a big question mark on him,” he said.
Jamwal’s remarks came as the administration began phased relaxation of the curfew imposed after Wednesday’s violence. Restrictions were lifted for two hours in the old city (1pm-3pm) and new areas (3:30pm-5:30pm), allowing residents to access essential services for the first time in three days.
Long queues formed outside shops and ATM kiosks as people rushed to buy essentials under heavy police and CRPF surveillance. The relaxation period passed peacefully with no incidents reported.
The DGP revealed said that 44 people were initially arrested since Wednesday’s violence, the total number in custody had reached 50, including half a dozen suspected ringleaders. Among those detained were three to four Nepali nationals found injured, though he said their role in the protests was still being investigated.
Jamwal defended the security forces’ response, rejecting opposition claims of indiscriminate firing and arguing they prevented greater destruction. “If you look at the footage and the conditions in which our forces performed, they did a highly commendable job,” he said, claiming the entire Leh town would have been “burnt to the ground” without their intervention.
According to him, 5,000-6,000 protesters had marched through Leh starting at 11am on Wednesday, targeting government buildings and political party offices. The police chief said 32 security force personnel were seriously injured on the first day alone, with 70-80 police and CRPF personnel injured overall. One CRPF personnel suffered spinal injuries and remains in an army hospital.
The DGP claimed his own car was attacked. “Luckily, I survived with minor injuries. Our car got damaged,” he said. The situation was brought under control by 4pm after violence that began at 11am.
Among civilians, 70-80 were injured, with one girl in critical condition airlifted for medical treatment. Six to seven people remain hospitalised.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party condemned what it described as “pathetic handling of the situation” and “the subsequent arrest of Sonam Wangchuk under the draconian National Security Act”.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticised the government, saying: “The one who is working for our forces has been dubbed anti-national and arrested under the NSA and you are playing cricket with Pakistan which spreads terror in India.”
The administration justified Wangchuk’s detention in a statement issued Friday on night, citing his “provocative speeches” referencing the Nepal agitation and Arab Spring. It said the detention was “important to restore normalcy” and prevent him from acting in a manner “prejudicial to maintenance of public order.”
www.hindustantimes.com
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