GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 1st Oct. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, condemned the Delhi Police’s detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters at the Singhu border on Tuesday, calling the action “unacceptable.”
Gandhi voiced his concerns in a post on social media platform X, highlighting the peaceful nature of the protesters advocating for environmental and constitutional rights.
“The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis who were peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable,” Rahul Gandhi stated. He placed the responsibility for the incident squarely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning why elderly citizens were being detained for standing up for the future of Ladakh.
“Modi ji, as with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh’s voice,” he added.
The detention occurred late Monday night, with Delhi Police imposing Section 163 of the BNS at the Delhi borders.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk shared his experience on X, stating, “I AM BEING DETAINED… along with 150 padyatris at Delhi Border, by a police force of hundreds, some say 1,000. Many elderly men & women in their 80s and a few dozen Army veterans… Our fate is unknown. We were on the most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi… in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy… Hai Ram!”
Wangchuk and his supporters began their foot march from Leh to New Delhi on September 1 to urge the Central Government to resume dialogue with Ladakh’s leadership regarding their demands. A significant part of their plea is to have Ladakh included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which would empower local populations with law-making authority to protect their land and cultural identity.
Earlier in the march, which passed through Himachal Pradesh on September 14, Wangchuk emphasized the importance of their mission, stating, “We are on a mission to remind the government of the promise it made to us five years ago.” Sonam Wangchuk has long advocated for statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution—which grants special rights to tribal communities—and stronger ecological protections for Ladakh.
In a bid to draw attention to the pressing issues in Ladakh, Wangchuk had previously completed a nine-day fast in Leh, emphasizing the need to safeguard the region’s fragile mountain ecology and support for its indigenous population. Following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
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