Congress Protests Detention of Ladakhi Activist Sonam Wangchuk at Delhi Border.
New Delhi:
The Congress party has vocally condemned the detention of Ladakhi climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and over 120 supporters at the Singhu border, where they were peacefully marching to demand constitutional rights for Ladakh.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the arrests, questioning why elderly citizens were being detained for advocating for Ladakh’s future. “The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis is unacceptable,” he stated on social media, urging Modi to heed the voices of the Ladakhi people.
Gandhi further warned that, similar to the farmers’ protests, this “Chakravyuh” would eventually be broken, and the government would be compelled to listen to Ladakh’s demands.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge labeled the detentions as cowardly and undemocratic, emphasizing the growing public support in Ladakh for protecting tribal communities under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. He accused the Modi government of seeking to exploit Ladakh’s fragile environment for the benefit of corporate interests.
K C Venugopal, Congress general secretary, remarked that the government’s actions reflect a fear of dissent, stating, “The arrest of Sonam Wangchuk ji shows the government is scared of anyone who speaks up for their rights.” He added that Ladakh has been stripped of its democratic rights, nearing exploitation by large corporations.
The ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra,’ organized by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) in collaboration with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), aims to secure statehood, extend the Sixth Schedule’s protections, and establish a Public Service Commission for Ladakh, among other demands. Wangchuk was detained while marching to the National Capital from Leh.
Sonam Wangchuk wrote on his Facebook account that I am being detained along with 150 padyatris at Delhi Border, by a police force of 100s some say 1,000. Many elderly men & women in their 80s and few dozen Army veterans… Our fate is unknown. We were on a most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi… in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy… Hai Ram!