- Four killed, 30 security personnel injured in Ladakh protests for statehood.
- LG Kavinder Gupta alleges “foreign powers” behind violence.
- Activist Sonam Wangchuk accused of inciting Arab Spring–style agitation.
- BJP blames Congress councillor; 50 arrested in police crackdown.
GG News Bureau
Leh, 25th Sept: Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta on Thursday alleged a “conspiracy” behind violent statehood protests in Ladakh that left four people dead and over 30 security personnel injured within the past 24 hours.
Speaking to NDTV, Gupta drew parallels to last year’s Bangladesh student uprising and recent Gen Z protests in Nepal, hinting at “foreign powers” attempting to destabilise the Union Territory. “In a democracy, peaceful protest is a right. But this smells of a conspiracy… gradually many things will become clear,” he said.
The violence erupted despite repeated appeals to end a hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. The Union Home Ministry accused Wangchuk of “provocative” Arab Spring–style rhetoric. Protesters vandalised a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office and set a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle ablaze, with officials claiming a mob tried to burn personnel inside. A curfew remains in force.
Local leaders countered that security forces used excessive force. Police have arrested 50 people so far, though it is unclear if Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag—whom the BJP blames for inciting unrest—is among them. Wangchuk denied Congress involvement, saying, “The party cannot gather 5,000 Ladakhi youths.”
Since Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019 after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, residents have demanded statehood and constitutional safeguards to protect land, culture and resources, warning of a political vacuum under federal rule.
